東方人格夢 Alternate Tale of Eastern Fantasy:Persona
by 741AuthorNCS
Summary: Disappearances have begin with in the town of Koryu as a long-nosed gentlemen has reached out to a young shrine maiden to prevent a catastrophe that would shake the whole town, if not the whole world. Touhou/Persona fusion. Co-write with RionAgrias.
1. Chapter 1

**Author: Hmm... Why did I start this co-write in the first place?**

**RionAgrias: Hmm... What gave you this idea? Why in the world would you want to do P4, just with Touhou characters instead? Was it your love of Touhou?**

**Author: Haha... Not really. The idea came to me a while ago after I read ****Memories Unforgotten**** by**** Kaiser dude****. The only other crossover on this topic. And then quickly losing half of my brain cells due to how bad it is. **

***Awkward pause***

**RionAgrias: ... And you still have twice as many as mine. I wanted to make this crossover, because I believe I can create the perfect cohesion between Persona and Touhou. It came to me, blah blah (don't write how bad that one story was) because of the lack of Persona/Touhou crossovers and the need to fill the void of so and so... I don't know. There are a couple of ideas.**

**Author: Well, another reason behind it was because of Danooru. Form what gossip I got from there, people are begging for a Touhou fangame version of Persona 4. But they never got it for some reason. There is even an artist there who drew a couple of pictures on this topic(the pen name is mazeran). So yeah.**

**RionAgrias: Yeah... I see what you mean. You'll do better than I am on mixing Fate/Stay Night and Persona. Though anytime you mention Danbooru...**

**Author: Yes I know, it allows the posting of Hentai and there is a mountain of them. But if you ignored those, you can actually find really interesting stuff. That is what I do when I'm bored.**

**RionAgrias: I know that. So, are you interested, scared, or nervous for the next P4A episode? What they'll do with it?**

**Author: Nah, I have faith that they will do good with the Anime.**

**RionAgrias: I just wish they would go away from MC/Yukiko. I just don't really like that pairing. Even MC/Chie suits me better.**

**Author: They are heading that toward that shipping? I didn't notice. How careless of me.**

**RionAgrias: At least, that's my thought and the general thought of the publishers and most of the people I talk to.**

**Author: Well, you may still have a chance. Naoto isn't in the picture yet.**

**RionAgrias: I have this feeling that they'll make it Kanji/Naoto. At least, they will put in the awkwardness.**

**Author: We will see when we get to the romance episode. *Look at the clock* Oh look at the time, let's not get in the way of our readers now, right RionAgrias? Do you have anything left to add?**

**RionAgrias: I guess not. I should probably get to work on my Ethnographic Arts paper. Stupid Jacques Chirac... **

**Author: *Look at readers once more* Oh, my apology for the extremely long Author's note. If you had somehow forgotten why you are here. Let me remind you all at this is a ** fusion** story between Touhou and Persona, with Touhou characters in a high school setting. Enjoy.  
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**_"The never repeating again Disclaimer: Persona is the property of ALTUS and Touhou is the property of the drunken god, ZUN."_**

東方人格夢  
><span>Alternate Tale of Eastern Fantasy: Persona<span>

Chapter 1: Contracted

* * *

><p><em>"Where... Where am I?"<em>

I slowly opened my eyes as a wave of noise entered my ears. It soundd like the jet engine of an airplane, although I could not tell as I had never ridden in one before. My guess was soon verified as I examined in and around my surroundings. The room I am in looked like the inside of a rich person's private jet; it was the kind that I only seen in documentaries. The place was coloured with a heavy blue theme with a dim lighting. I sat in a very comfortable chair, while was styled like those you would found in a five-star hotel. I fixed my gaze forward to locate a small table...

... And sitting behind that table was possibly the strangest person I had ever seen; a bald, skinny old gentleman with an impossibly large nose and elf-like ears. His large and almost emotionless eyes looked towards me as if they were staring into my soul.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." The strange old man greeted.

"T-the Velvet Room?" I muttered in response, utterly in awe at the whole situation.

"Yes. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and mutter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a "contract" may enter..." The stranger answered. "My name is Igor. I'm delighted to make your acquaintance."

"A contract?"

"Correct." He snapped his fingers and a floating clipboard appeared, surprising me as a pen appeared into my writing-hand. On the clipboard wass a single sheet of paper that appeared to be a contract, but for whatever reason had only one sentence written on the page.

"I, the undersigned, do acknowledge that I am hereby accepting full responsibility for the consequences of my actions."

I looked back toward Igor, who was waiting patiently for me to signed it.

I stared at the paper and hesitated for a short while, wondering whether or not to signed it. I returned my gaze to Igor once more and I soon realized that neither of us will go anywhere if I do not act. The tip of the pen touches the paper:

博麗霊夢 (Hakurei Reimu)

"Splendid." Igor said delightfully as he snapped his fingers; the contract disappeared from my possession. "Now then, do you believe in fortune telling?"

"A little, I guess." I replies, a little dubious.

Igor lifted his left hand as a deck of tarot cards appeared. With a simple wave, 7 cards magically moved into the position of a hexagon on the small table. "Each reading was done with the same cards, yet the result was always different." He chuckled. "Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?" He flipped the very first card. "Hm... The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophic is imminent."

"C-Catastrophic?" I whispered with a tinge of worry.

"On the contrary, miss. Now, the card indicating the future beyond that is..." The strange man flipped another card. "The Moon. In the upright position. This card represents "hesitation" and "Mystery"...Very interesting indeed."

_"Catastrophic... Mystery... What in the world...?"_

Igor grinned. "It seems that you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you. But do not worry; my duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen."

I wondered how this strange man would provide the assistance, and what type of assistance it was. But before I could thought deeper, my consciousness began to fade...

"Ah... Time... It sure pasts on rather quick does it not?" Igor chuckled. "We shall attend to the details another time. But before then, farewell." He waved toward me with a good-bye as I fell into unconsciousness..."

* * *

><p>TINNN! TINNNN! TINNNN! ! *Bleep*<p>

A young teen with long black hair silenced her alarm clock with an overzealous strike of her hand.

Reimu Hakurei, 16 years old. The 13th Miko of the Hakurei Shrine. She lived with her father who was currently out for over sea business.

The Miko's mouth gave out a light yawn as she stretched her harden limb underneath her pajamas. The shine maiden wished that she would not have to wake up at six in the morning, but someone had to do the early work around the shine... Someone had to clean, rang the small golden bells; someone had to do the dirty work.

_"Oh, what a strange dream that was..." _Reimu thought.

The Miko leaped off her futon and entered the bathroom to changed into her school uniform. It was the usual style for girls during autumn.

She stared into the bathroom mirror and started adjusting her messed up hair. She tied her hair in a large red hair bow and mada them shaped like a set of butterfly wings. Followed up with two hair tube fitted on the each side of her face. She quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face, Reimu then went off to the kitchen to cook breakfast.

It was just in time, too, as another teen was attracted by the promise of breakfast and crawled from upstair. She had wavy blond hair, with a pig tail on the left side of her head that came down past her shoulder; which was tied loosely by a pink ribbon. Her body was still wearing her very loose pajamas; aka, a black nightgown over yesterday's underwear. A necklace with a oversize ornament around her neck; an wooden octagonal block with an eight trigram printed in a circle on its front. The smell of the food was wafting and she was slowly drifting towards the table with a hungry look on her face.

"Yo... Reimu? What is for breakfast today, ze?"

This was Marisa Kirisame, Reimu's freeloader of a best friend.

"Be patient! It's not like you are helping." Reimu complained, an annoyed look forming on her face. "Go change into your uniform or something, did you even take a shower yesterday?"

The blonde gave off an impatient air as she shrugged her shoulders. "Nah, it's too much of an annoyance." An instant sigh from the shine Maiden when she said that.

"Seriously, Marisa. What am I suppose to do with you?" Reimu frowned, as she came over the plates of food and slices of toast. "Just promise me that you will at least take a shower tonight."

"Yeah, yeah..." Her friend waved off the comment to started chewing on her toast. "Are we still in the red, ze? *munch* *munch* because I started to miss rice and miso soup in the morning."

"Just eat your food. Or else we are going to be late."

* * *

><p>This place was Koryu. An ancient town located within the inner region of Japan; its origin dated all the way back thousands of years to the starting eras of Japan. It was said this town was built by a mighty Dragon god with a body so long that it would covered the sky if it had reappeared. There ware three things that this town was famous for. The cherry blossoms during the spring, the purification rituals of its shines, and its breathtaking view of its surrounding environment brought Koryu its notoriety.<p>

And so, we began our story.

* * *

><p>"Yo! Alice!"<p>

A young teen who was the same age as the group with short blonde hair; weared a red headband and dress as an interpretation of her school uniform. She responded to the call by turning her head...

"Oh Mari-!"

The young teen's eyes widen upon seeing Marisa riding on her bicycle, zooming passed her at very high speed. The sudden action of seeing the blond-haired girl with the ponytail surprised her and almost caused her to losed her footing as well.

"Marisa!"

"That is what you get for not paying attention, ze!" Marisa laughed at Alice as she continued to head forward; not realizing what was in front of her. "Ah-"

Too late to changed course, the long blonde crashed head first into some trashcans. Thankfully, the cans were empty of rubbish, so she was safe from being covered in non-combustibles.

"Ow..." The blonde groaned in pain.

"I told you so, Marisa." Reimu walked past her best friend, feeling no sympathy at all. "Why do you do this every morning?"

Marisa picked herself up. "Why not, this lets me show off my riding skill, ze."

"But why did you have to do it past Alice?"

"Well... She is the one criticize my biking skill to most." Marisa replied in annoyance

"I did not. I said you shouldn't do it in the middle of the street." the accused girl defended herself.

"Enough..." Reimu interrupted. "We are really going to be late if you two have your usual argument."

Both blondes quieted down almost automatically.

* * *

><p>If there is anything Reimu's class hated more then anything in the world, it would had to be their history teacher.<p>

"All three of you ARE late!"

Ms. Paris Hilles, a half Japanese, half British middle-aged woman with a nasty hatred for young teens. She was a horrible person, and a downright worthless teacher. She hardly teached anything useful and her tests were almost impossible if you did not plan ahead. She was also really mean to her students, calling some of the more 'rebellious' (If rebellious meant wearing your uniform a little differently.) students "the trash of society" and wrote lies on their report cards. It did not help that she was butt ugly too.

"But Ms. Hilles..." Reimu tried to defend on why she was tardy yet again.

"NO BUT! Being a shrine maiden does not give you the opportunity to be late!" The middle-aged yelled angrily. "Same goes for your friends!"

Reimu believed that she should argued more against the tyrant named Ms. Hilles; it was completely unfair to be harassed like this, especially from a teacher. However, Reimu also understood that arguing against the teacher would only resulted in undesirable consequences that she will probably regret later.

So Reimu kept her mouth shut for this very reason, but Alice opened her mouth to say. "It was not my fault that I was late. It was because…" Alice was focusing her blame towards Marisa; the girl who had made such a mess with her bicycle.

The cranky teacher's face screwed up in anger as she all but yelled in response. "I do not care! All that matters in this classroom is that you are late! All you have to do is show up on time!"

The only reason that the teacher only raised her voice slightly towards Alice is that she was a better student. It was a fact that the others found annoying from time to time.

"Here it comes, ze." Marisa muttered under her breath to Reimu.

"_Is she expecting another tirade from the teacher?"_ Reimu thought, still wanting to end the suffering of the lecturing by returning to her seat.

"What did I tell you about wearing the proper school uniform?" the teacher questioned. "A blue dress and a red headband? Those items are not a part of our uniform…"

Alice standed in silence. She knew that the best thing to do was to nod and agreed like a dumb bobble head. The teacher would eventually ran out of steam and forgot about the single indiscretion after a few minutes as long as there do not have any other topics to drugged on her rants.

Reimu's eyes widen as she heard the ugly teacher's voice, "Hakurei! Get to your seat!"

Reimu hurried to her seat, completely unaware that the teacher was finished with her lecture. She placed her school bag on the metal hook on the side of the desk. Class was slowly beginning, but students were still gossiping quietly amongst each other.

"Did you heard? That is a lot of missing people lately." A girl whispered to her friend.

Reimu looked around the room. It was as the girl says; there were at least five empty desks in the classroom. It was a fact that Ms. Hilles made note of during her lecture. She said, "Students ditching class. That is downright despicable! When those worthless students decide to show their faces again, I will make sure that is the last day they attend this school!"

"_She is going to expel people for being sick?" _Reimu wondered.

The shrine maiden took notes obediently through the lesson and tried not to make any more disturbances to bring the wrath of her teacher down upon her. She waited for the end of school, or at least until Ms. Hilles's class was over. It started to bother Reimu that so many people were missing, though. It just felt… weird.

* * *

><p>Finally, the group of friends was freed from the school when the final bell rang and they were able to escape.<p>

"Have you heard of the "SiN"?" Marisa asked as they prepare to leave.

""SiN"? What is that?" Reimu questioned her friend.

Marisa laughed. "You have not heard of it? It's a little ritual you can start at home. It's supposed to grant you any wish if you "face you true self"... whatever that means, ze."

"Marisa, you are actually into these kinds of things?" Alice asked half-amused, half in- doubt.

"Maybe… I heard it from some gossip around the school." Marisa answered. "Hey! How about we try it out?"

"What?" Alice's face turned surprise toward Marisa's comment.

"It will be fun, ze! We can trash this little rumour if it does not work!" The long blonde said proudly. "You guys are not afraid are you?"

Both Reimu and Alice hesitated to answer the challenge. "N-No. Of course not…" They replied out of pure pressure of the other blonde.

"Okay! Then let's do it at the shine at midnight!"

"T-That is a little late, isn't it?" Reimu complained.

"Nah, tomorrow is the weekend, remember?" Marisa pointed out.

"... I guess I should tell my parents that I'm sleeping over..." Alice muttered.

* * *

><p>11:59 P.M. in the Hakurei shine.<p>

The faint sound of chalk grinding on the cold stone floor the shine's backyard can be heard, echoing in the night.

"Let's see... Water, Fire, Wood, Earth, Metal... The runes seem about right." Marisa grinned a bit too excitedly for the other two and putted away her chalk. She then pulled out a sheet of paper. "Are you guys ready?"

_"It's probably not gonna work, anyway,"_ thought Reimu before she answered the longer-haired blond. "Yes"

"I guess..." Alice gaved her response quietly and tiredly, rubbing her arms in over her thin pajama. It was obvious that she was not used to staying up this late into the night.

Three girls than began the 'ritual'.

"From the depth of thy soul, I pray... May thou answer thy wish..."

They placed their hand on the runes.

"Thou... art willing to face thou self as an offering... The true self..."

12:00 A.M.

The runes began to glowed in brilliant radiance.

"Look! It's really working, ze!" Marisa exclaimed excitedly to the other two.

The brilliance didn't last long however, as the runes soon dissipated into darkness... It did not last long before the ray of lights began to form into a twister of dark shadows...

"W-What is this- Ah!" Reimu cried in panic as the darkness begins to pull the group into its depth. The pull of the dark twister caught Alice off guard and she was the first one to vanish into it.

"ALICE!" The long blonde jumped in after her friend.

"MARISA!" The Miko followed straight after her.

All three teens vanished into the night...

End of Chapter One

* * *

><p><strong>RionAgrias: Wait… so this is the end of Chapter 1? But… there is so much shameless promoting I could have put in… *all light around him dims as he sits in a corner by himself*<strong>

**Author: *Sweat drops and pets RionAgrias* You will get a chance... eventually.**

**RionAgrias: But... at least... did I do a good job? *looks expectant***

**Author: *Looks annoyed* Never do this again... It creeps me out... See ya all next time... I guess.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author: *Looks sad***

**RionAgrias: Aww... What's wrong?**

**Author: *Eyes watery as she takes out a mountain of crappy Naruto, Twlight, Yaoi and Yuri, and poorly written fics* THEY ALL HAD BETTER REVIEW COUNTS THAN HERE!**

**RionAgrias: Isn't it obvious... that's because they're crappy Naruto, Twilight, Yaoi and Yuri fics. Of course they would have higher review counts.**

**Author: I KNOW! People can't pick jack to read! Everybody those days only want to see that ramen target board be a god, the sparkie prick being pointless, and two brother/sister like characters to "love" each other!**

**RionAgrias: And everything has to be M-rated at that. Does every prepubescent fifteen-year-old want to read about some little thirteen-year-old's exploits with five other teenage girls in graphic detail?**

**Author: Apparently... so. *Scream her lungs out in rage***

**RionAgrias: You're going to lose your voice if you keep that up.**

**Author: *Starts coughing*... Ok... I over did it...**

**RionAgrias: *Hands you a cough drop and some water***

**Author: Thanks. *Takes the cough drop and water* Anything important to say from your side, RionAgrias?**

**RionAgrias: I remember the olden days. When I first started reading here, before I had an account; I looked at stories written in script form.**

**Author: Me too, some were pretty entertaining.**

**RionAgrias: I saw... three... that were bearable.**

**Author: Ouch.**

**RionAgrias: *hands her a band aid***

**Author: I'm taking about you.**

**RionAgrias: And I'm being... how do I say... dry humorous.**

東方人格夢  
><span>Alternate Tale of Eastern Fantasy: Persona<span>

Chapter 2: World Under Everyone's Feelings

* * *

><p>Koryu police chief, Katsuo Sasaki, rubs his eyes in pain as his brain, being bombarded by the combined effects of his third cup of coffee and the small amounts of radiation being emitted from his computer screen. It's obvious that working overtime while typing a 'missing person' report around midnight is no doubt a health hazard.<p>

"Chief." One of his subordinates comes up to him with another cup of coffee. "Any luck?"

"What do you think?" The middle-aged man replies tiredly with a tinge of annoyance. "God dammit...! Why the hell are there so many people missing lately? This is like the third case this god damn month!" He consumes his coffee in a one long draught before tossing the paper cup into the trash can. "And what's worst, there still is not a single clue where the missing people went!"

"We can't really help it, Chief. The investigation team we sent to look into the disappearances is trying their best..."

"Really? It has been 2 months since this began!" Katsuo's yell towards his subordinate was sharp and filled with anger. He points at the junior member of the force before he says, "Now get me another cup of coffee!"

The junior member slinks away; head down at being forced to grab another cup of coffee for the chief would undoubtedly need to go to the bathroom in a short while. He knows as little as the chief about all of the disappearances and he thinks it would continue this way unless they reappear on their own.

* * *

><p>Reimu, the shrine maiden, slowly opens her eyes as a sudden pain can be felt on her back. She guesses it was because she had fallen from a rather high elevation on to the floor. She gets back to her feet groaning and scans her surroundings.<p>

In a single word, this place is… weird. Everywhere Reimu turns; she sees nothing but a dull and lackluster sheen of gray. A very light layer of dark haze covers the ground she stands on. It seems empty at first, but through careful observation Reimu manages to barely make out a path that seems to lead deeper into the arena.

The Miko takes a step forward and her foot meets something soft. She looks down to find Marisa lying over Alice unconscious awkwardly; this scene almost makes Reimu wish that she had her camera.

Reimu sighs in relief. _"Looks like those two are alright..."_ She thinks as she kneels next to both of the blonde girls and starts shaking their bodies. "Hey! Wake up!"

"Mmm..." Marisa moans lightly while her eyes slowly open. "Oh... Reimu, what a strange nightmare I had, ze-" Her eyes widen in realization as she slowly gazes around the new and alien surroundings. "WHA-"

"Ah... Shut up Maris-" Alice experiences the same feeling as she awakes. "WHA-"

Both blondes jump to their feet and starts turning their heads around rapidly, panicking as they are now deeply confused to what had happened.

"T-This place is..." Alice cries out in fear. "W-where are we!"

"I don't know... But that ritual must have something to do with this..." Reimu points out.

"Well duh! If the giant pool of darkness that sucks people in isn't a good enough clue, I don't know what is!" Marisa exclaims.

"I hope you are happy, Marisa." Alice deadpans, pointing at the other blonde. "This wouldn't have happened if you didn't start the ritual at the first place!"

"You are blaming me?" Marisa looks incredulous at the fact she was blamed by the other blond.

"Of course I am blaming you! Who was the one who said 'Let's try this da ze!'?" Complains Alice as she and Marisa lock into a contest of glare.

Reimu wants to face-palm herself; how did those two became friends again?

"Enough!" The Miko interrupted both of the blonde girls with anger in her tone. "You two can continue arguing when we find the exit to this place! So until then… just stop…"

Marisa and Alice stare at each other with looks that are not quite malice once more before both teens turn their heads away in displeasure.

Reimu sighs. "Come on, maybe the exit is at the end of this path." She points to the path that was hidden by the same haze that was clouding the black-haired shrine maiden's sight since her arrival to this mysterious place.

Alice groan under her breath; how unfortunate that both her and Reimu are dressed only in their pajamas and they are all wearing only slippers. Even through this place is at room temperature and they do not have to worry about freezing anytime soon, moving around in your sleeping clothes is never a great idea. For once, Alice is envy of Marisa's dirty habits. The girl with the blond hair with the single long braid is still in her school uniform because she was too lazy to have change, nor had she showered before the ritual late at night.

The group begins their slow walk down the foggy path, staying close together and watching each others' backs just in case of something spooky.

"This place feels so... what do call that...? Atmospheric?" Marisa comments.

"Why would you call it that?" Reimu asks. "That doesn't even make any sense…"

"I don't know... I keep thinking that some monsters would just randomly appear and attack us or something, ze."

"Don't say stuff like that!" Alice said with fear in her tone as she flinches at the thought of the idea.

The group continues on for a short while until they come to the end of the path and come across a metal door, standing in the middle of the field of nothing.

"What is a door doing here?" asks Reimu.

Marisa begins walking around the door with curiosity as she inspects it left and right. "Hey, maybe this is a magical door of some sort. You know? It's one of those doors that appear in fairytale and warp you somewhere else, ze?"

"Magic doors? Don't be ridiculous! Those don't exist..." Alice says, looking doubtful.

"Yeah! I really want to hear that from someone who just got sucked into a black hole caused by a _magical_ ritual!" Marisa replies irritated.

Alice quiets down, looking slightly embarrassed. However, she mutters under her breath with something like,_ "A magical ritual which you performed..."_

"It's worth a try, since there doesn't seem to have any other option..." Reimu declares as she steps forward in fronts of the door. She reaches for the handle and hold it tightly onto it with a grip. The Miko takes a step back and pulls as hard as she can.

As the mysterious door opens, a bright burst of light erupts from the other side of the doorway and blinds everyone in fronts of it. The three of them immediately shield their eyes with their hands.

The teens lower their palms and attempt to grasp at what had happened to the empty, hazy area around them.

"Is this, the street by the shrine...?" Alice asks.

Indeed, it seems the field of nothing had changed into the same street the three high school students walk by everyday to school. However, the street is not a perfect copy as its structures are very creepy-looking and twisted. It is close, but something just feels… off to Reimu.

Marisa scratches her head in confession. "What the heck? Why did the place turn into a shoddy copy of the town?"

"Oh my..." An unknown female voice suddenly echoes throughout the area and surprised everyone. "This time there are three of them. How troublesome..."

"What... Who are you? Show yourself!" Marisa shouts in anger.

As the voice rang around the area, the space in front of them started ripping apart suddenly and forming a dark purple gap of some sort in midair. At both end of the purple ripple are two red ribbons, with in it appeared to be countless emotionless eyes that stare towards the group. Everyone took a quick step back when something large jumps out of it.

It looks like the result of a mad scientist trying to fuse a human head with a puffy cushion. Just imagine an artist trying to paint the face of a young woman onto a dango. The misshapen creature has long golden blonde hair and wears an oversize pink mob cap with a thin red ribbon tied in the front. The unknown creature leaps forward only the shortest possible distance with its legless body. It looks at the group with its deep purple eyes, staring intensely.

"That's a surprise, you didn't all run away the moment my border appears like the other ones." The creature says with a condescending tone. "It is better that way; I don't have to waste my nap time looking for you."

"W-What the heck are you...?" Alice questions the speaker, pointing at the strange being.

"My name is Yukari Yakumo... You can say I'm a resident in this world. And you?" The dumpling shape creature asks.

The group turns their heads and looks at each other puzzled. _"Should we answer it?"_ Alice asks the other two friends under her breath.

_"It's better than nothing, maybe it can help us."_ Reimu replies quietly.

_"I don't know... I don't think I want to trust an oversize dumpling, ze."_ Marisa mutters.

_"I guess we got no other choice."_ The Miko turns to Yukari. "My name is Hakurei Reimu." She moves her hand to the direction of her blonde friends. "This is Kirisame Marisa and Alice Margatroid. Can you tell us where this is and do you perhaps know the way out?"

Yukari's cartoon-ly oversize mouth smiles toward the group. "This is a place that lies just over the border of dream and reality. There is no natural exit unless someone makes ones."

"DA ZE?" Marisa shouts; she looks shocked. "You mean we are trapped in here?"

Yukari grins. "Then you should all consider yourselves lucky!" She says playfully. "I can send you all back to reality, for a price that is..."

"A price?" Reimu's eyes narrow.

"Lately there have been a lot of human being drafted aimlessly here. I usually wouldn't mind sending them back if I encounters them but the number is beginning to get ridiculous. I suspect someone or something is calling people in, I'm hoping that somebody would do something about it so I can continue my beauty nap in peace..."

Alice suddenly realizes something. "Hey guys, do you think this is related to the mass disappearances?"

"Mass disappearances?" Reimu and Marisa ask the blond who had bothered to wash up before performing the ritual.

"You didn't hear it from the news?" Alice questions; she is looking surprised at their obliviousness.

"Aw... The shrine's TV was broken for 3 months now, remember? And we rarely read the newspaper." Reimu replies. It follows with a nod from Marisa. "... I usually only use the computer to check on interesting stuff online and I never read the news selection on Yahoo, ze."

Alice sighs. "It began two months ago... People began disappearing from around the town with no reports of their whereabouts. The police are investigating at this very moment but no progress had been made on why they are disappearing or where they are disappearing to..." She looks towards the distorted street's direction. "If the missing people ended up here as she had said then maybe we could..."

"It's pointless." Yukari said. "I'm afraid it is already too late for those humans."

"What do you mean?" Reimu asks.

"Normal humans wouldn't last more then 3 days here if they decide to wander aimlessly in this place. They will encounter Shadows eventually and lost their mind, becoming nothing more but vegetables."

"Shadows?" Marisa raises an eyebrow in confusion. "What is a "Shadow"?"

"I'm not the only resident in this world... "Shadows" as they are called-"

But before Yukari can finish her explanations however, the haze covering the ground begins to thicken and the air soon fills with groaning noises. A strange feeling of danger begin radiating through out the air and can be felt by everyone.

"Uh oh, how unlucky for you guys." The puffy being says in a voice that becomes more hurried with every word. "Start running, the Shadows are coming!" Yukari ignores the confused teens before jumping in a freshly opened gap.

"Wait what? Come back you stupid dango-" Marisa cries with rage as the gap disappears.

However, Reimu's sharp eyes turns around as she suddenly feels an unknown present, she immediately catch something unexpected a few feet behind the longer-haired blonde in her sight. "M-Marisa! B-behind you!" She points her index finger to the direction behind her best friend.

"Eh?" Marisa slowly turns her head until the corner of her eyes catches something horrible if not terrifying in her line-of-sight.

Rising from the dark haze are many pools of darkness. Acting like liquid, it floats into the air and condenses into three spheres the size of gymnastic training balls. It was not long until the liquid starts to solidify and an intimating, an eye lacking a pupil opens in the center of each. To add to the creepiness of the situation, the upper body of a muscular male humanoid "spout" on top all the spheres; all the figures seems to wear a sack-like mask with the kanji "Sin"(罪) printed over them.

"W-What are those?" Alice shouts, terrified.

One of the monsters begins to float closer, groaning in hunger like moan and with its arms raised.

"Guys... I think it is the best idea to run!" Reimu proposes.

"I second that, ze!" Marisa agrees.

"Me third!" Alice exclaims.

The group immediately runs to the opposite direction of the street as fast as their feet can carry them. Not bother nor care to look back as the obviously hostile entities pursuit them closely.

So the chase is on with the scared teens trying their best to escape the unknown. With their descent P.E. records, it wasn't long until the three manages to temporary out run the hostiles. Getting a ahead of them and into the twisted version of their town's public playground.

"*Pants* *Pants* I-I can't go on any longer... not with slippers!" Alice cries with exhaustion as she kneels down onto the ground. She slowly rubs her right ankle in pain.

Reimu reaches to help the shorter-haired blond. "Come on Alice... We ha-" Too late, the monsters had already located them and are gathering at the entrance of the twisted playground, advancing toward them. "Oh no..."

"Dammit!" Marisa curses as one of the entities tries to swipe its arms at the group. They barely dodge the attack but more of these 'things' quickly gather around them.

Alice tries to move, but the moment she steps out, her foot tripped on the irregular ground. The uneven ground's effects on Alice's ankle give the entities the chance to surround the fallen girl.

"ALICE!" Marisa rages and leaps at the monsters. "Take this!" With a fast mid-air spin, she delivers a crushing kick to the "head" of one of the foes.

The thing barely felt Marisa's powerful physical attack.

With a loud growl, Marisa is sent flying and rolling over the ground in pain by the swing of the monsters' left arm.

"MARISA!" Reimu cries with concern. She goes over to help her best friend up. "You okay?"

"Ow... Those... guys are... pretty tough... ze..." Mutters the longer-haired blonde weakly.

The entities turns their attention back to Alice as one of them picks her up by the back of her pajamas with its muscular fingers, moaning in hunger as the shorter-haired blonde girl screams her lungs out in fear.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Alice struggles and thrashes with all of her might, but to no avail as the attacker ignores her little movements.

_"Is this the end of us...?"_ Reimu thinks hopelessly in despair as her friends suffer, her mind reaches out to every single Kami and spirits that her shrine prays, so they might help them...

"_I am thou…_"

Reimu's eyes widen in confusion, wondering where the voice was coming from.

"_Thou art I…_"

Reimu grabs her head in pain while her eyes squeeze tight. That voice... it came from her head!

Suddenly, the scenery before her slows down to almost a complete stop. The voice of her friends screaming and the moaning of their attackers are no longer detectable by her own ears. Everything around her becomes darkness.

_"Thou hath opened thy eyes..."_

"Your facade is about to awaken..." A familiar voice says.

The Miko finds herself in the very same room from her earlier dream once more, staring again at the strange old gentlemen.

"Facade?" Reimu asks.

"The power my master had granted to all the wild cards." Igor chuckles. His left hand pushes a sheet of tarot card to the edge of his table. The card then magically flies over infronts of Reimu's face. The writing on the card indcates it is a card of the Fool Arcana .

But confusion hits Reimu when she sees the other side of the floating, rotating card. With in the card's frame are entirely blink for reasons unknown to her.

"Follow your heart's direction. Let it guide you, and unleash that power." Igor says. "When you have successfully done so, return here with this… We shall discuss your ability in greater detail..." A shining, blue-purple key with the symbol of the butterfly mask materialize floats into Reimu's possession. She reaches out to grab it but quickly disappears as it touches her palm.

"Until then, farewell." Igor waves her a goodbye just like last time.

_"The time ist now!"_ The mysterious voice echoes once more as Reimu suddenly realizes she is back to reality… facing the dangers again.

_"Follow my heart's direction, huh?"_ The Miko smiles under her breath.

And so she does.

Reimu closes her eyes and concentrates. A faint blue glow begins to illuminates around her.

"R-Reimu...?" Marisa gasps at the blue light that is surrounding her black-haired friend.

All of the entities turn their attention to the Miko's direction with sudden fear.

Reimu spreads out her arms like she would at the beginning of each shrine's prayer ritual.

"Per..."

The tarot card Igor had given to her a moment ago appears between her right hand's index finger and middle finger, being held like an amulet.

"...so..."

She waves her arms about and quickly groups her hands closer. The blue light around her flashes more violently.

"...na!"

Reimu throws out her arms with strength. With a twist of her fingers, the card scatters like glass, with an added sound effect.

The fragment of the pieces then melts away and become a cloud of light blue mist. The shade of a figure soon appears from it.

The figure appearing from the blue mist looks like a long dark-haired woman in her mid-twenties. The figure is dressed in a customized Miko outfit completed with a red dress, shoulder baring detached sleeves, a yellow neckerchief, and red shoes. She has the same kind of headband accessory as Reimu and wears a mask painted to look like a massive yin-yang symbol. In her right hand is a gohei with whip-like Shide and four basketball-sized yin-yang orbs floating around her, rotating clockwise slowly like satellites.

_"From the sea of thy soul, I come... I am the ancient protector of Koryu... The exterminator of evil Youkai. I'm Hakurei-no-Miko..."_ The figure declares with a kind yet powerful voice. _"Shall I vanquish the evil before thou?"_

"Please!" Reimu throws out her right arm with a command. "Rescue Alice!"

Becoming impatient, one of the hostiles immediately lunges itself to the figure, hoping to take out the intruder beforehand. It reaches out both of its arms...

...Hakurei-no-Miko easily sidestep aside before performing a counter attack by smashing it on its sack face with one of her yin-yang orbs. The force launches the monster away and it clashes into the twisted playground's seesaw.

The summoned being flies towards the monster holding Alice. She swings out her arm and whip out her gohei, sending the chain of holly paper toward the entity. The whip of Shide collides with the monstrosity's eyeball body with the strike force equal to a car. The attack forces it to release the blonde as well as sending it into a collision with the other one. The resulting collision sends the pajama-clad blond towards the ground

"Ah-" Alice closes her eyes in horror, awaiting the pain of falling face first onto the twisted ground.

It never came.

"Huh...?" The frighten blonde slowly opens her eyes to realize she is in the hold of someone. She looks up to find herself being hold in the unoccupied left arm of Hakurei-no-Miko.

The entities, however, quickly recover from where they were and go back to attacking. All three of them charge towards the summoned being with apparent rage.

The summoned being responds to their stupidity by easily avoiding their now pathetic-looking attacks. The being then quickly rewards them with a violent hit to the face with one of her yin-yang orbs or a brutal whip from her gohei. The battle now looks like a graceful dance as Hakurei-no-Miko easily gains the upper hand. All the while with Alice safe and sound in her left arm.

With one more hit of the yin-yang orb, all three hostiles drops to the ground painfully.

"Now, Hakurei-no-Miko!" Reimu shout and orders. "Exorcism Amulet, Persuasion Needle!"

Hakurei-no-Miko flies high into the air and above all her foes. Through a command by a wave of the gohei, the orbs surrounding her left their origin formation and rotated in front of the shine maiden. The orbs begin glowing in a calming ray of pink.

The entities do not even get a chance to get up as a hailstorm of amulets and needles descend upon them. As the projectiles shoot towards them, the yin-yang orbs rotate back and forth in graceful motions, twisting the stream into a beautiful display of patterns.

It was short, but beautiful. When the attack had ended, all that remains of the enemies are nothing more but three pools of black slime that slowly dissolve into particles.

"Amazing..." Marisa gasps. She picks herself up slowly to limp over to Reimu.

Hakurei-no-Miko descends back to the ground and places Alice gently to her feet.

"T-Thanks..." Alice stutters through her words, not knowing what to say.

Hakurei-no-Miko's head turns toward Reimu, she nods to her summoner. The Miko acknowledges the meaning with a similar nod. The summoned being vanishes with a pulse of blue light.

Reimu drops to her knees when a suddenly surge of weakness rushes into her; not realizing that the summoning had taken a lot out of her without her knowing.

"W-What was that you just did, Reimu...?" Marisa asks shaking. She is feeling a little scared, especially towards her best friend right now.

"A Persona..."

"Eh? Persona?"

Reimu pants. "I... I don't know how to explain it... But it allows me to protect myself in this world and it fights as an extension of me..."

"Are you all right Reimu?" Alice asks, concerned at how pale her friend looks.

"*Gasp* No... It is fine, the first time calling a Persona seem to have taken a lot out of me..." replies Reimu weakly.

All of a sudden, the familiar ripple of space returned.

"My, my. I did not expect this one bit..." Yukari leaps out of the gap. "You actually survived a Shadow attack, as well as literally destroying them... I'm very impressed."

Marisa's eyes are burning with anger as she yells. "YOU STUPID DANGO! WE COULD'VE DIED-!" Temporarily forgetting her injuries, Marisa jumps over to the strange creature and lashes her leg out at the dango-thing.

"How rude."

A large gap appears just between the path of Marisa's flying kick and Yukari. It causes the longer-haired blonde to sail right into it. She comes out of a newly open gap that appears itself over Alice.

"WH-"

*Clash*

Both blonde girls groan in pain.

"... Now where was I before all of these?" The dango shape being mutters. "Oh yes. I should start answering all of your questions about this world, right?

Reimu nods. "Please."

Alice pushes Marisa off herself. "... Tell us everything."

Yukari sighs, her long hair reaches into a tiny gap. The hair is acting like an extra limb, somehow; it makes Reimu step back in disgust. Yukari pulls out a very beautifully made metal fan and makes the original inhabitant of this foreign world comfortable. "As I had said before, this place lays just over the border between dream and reality. Its appearances are determined by the collective memory of the human heart that ended up here."

Reimu looks around her. _"Is this why this place turned into the town?"_

"The creatures you all have just encountered are called Shadows. They are the foul embodiments of humanity's dark feelings and hidden secrets. They will immediately attack any humans if they manage to locate them." Yukari explains. "Any humans that are unfortunate enough to be caught by them will lose all of their feelings… becoming zombie-like and forced to forever wander this place until their frail body can't walk anymore."

"H-How terrible!" Alice gasps.

Yukari grins. "I think so too, even if I could care less about any human. I would hate to come across corpses when I move around." She points the tip of her folding fan toward the group and directly at Reimu. "That is way I want you guys to find the one responsible for randomly throwing humans in. That is, since you seem to be about fighting the Shadows off."

"And what about you, ze?" Marisa asks, irritated.

"I will tag along and watch the battles, of course!" The dango shape giggles loudly to herself.

"Why you-" The longer-haired blonde was prevented by Alice from pointlessly lashing out at Yukari, barely.

"Hold on." Reimu pauses. "You seem to know a lot about this world... What exactly are you?"

"Yeah! Maybe you are just another "Shadow" trying to trick us, ze!" Marisa shouts.

"Oh please." Yukari says with boredom. "Don't drag me in with those disgusting things. If I really wanted to harm you all, I wouldn't bother wasting my nap time explaining to all three of you. I'm a Youkai, the Youkai of boundary to be exact."

"Youkai of boundary...?" All three teens says in confusion.

"To put it simply, I can control all borders and boundaries. I can stretch or remove them in anyway I wish, even change reality." Yukari explains and earning gasps from her listeners.

"Wait... If you are this powerful, why don't you do something right now?" Alice asks confused.

"I _was_ this powerful." Yukari replies. "It happened centuries ago... I don't remember it too well... but let's just say someone decided I was too dangerous and sealed most of my powers. I left the human word after that and begin living here, where I can get some peace and quiet."

The group pauses to try and take in this shocking revelation.

_"Do you think what she said was true?" Alice asks under breath._

_"Sounds kind of strange to me, ze." Marisa responds._

_"She doesn't seem to be lying." Reimu mutters._

"This is enough storytelling for now." Yukari says as she put away her fan. "I will send you guys back to reality, but remember our deal."

Reimu nods. "We will."

"To prevent anymore people from being sent in here." Alice says with a little trepidation.

Yukari smiles. "I will trust you all, then. Where in the human world do you want me to send you back to?"

"Anywhere but here!" Marisa demands.

"Back to the Hakurei Shrine, please." Reimu directed.

The Youkai grins as a gap the size of an average doorway appears under her command.

As Reimu walks in the newly created space to leave this dangerous space, she realizes something very important. She turns her head and asks. "How do we get back?" However, the shrine maiden is already all the way through the path between 'worlds' and returning to the safety of her shrine.

* * *

><p>Back in reality, a gap opens in the backyard of the Hakurei shrine. Just under it's largest pine tree.<p>

"We are back!" Marisa cries happily as her feet touches the soil of the yard.

Alice falls to her butt, sighing in relief as she does. "Thank god..."

_"I will leave this gap here."_ Yukari's voices echoes from the other side. _"Just reach your hand in every time any of you needs me."_

The gap begins to shrink in size, until their exit becomes no larger then a drain pipe and difficult to detect under the night as well as the shade of the tree.

"We just put our hand back in the gaps then…" Reimu mutters, She feels relief at her previous question is now answered by the... dango-thing...

"We really have to go back, ze?" Marisa looks exasperated, clearly had enough adrenaline rush tonight.

"We promised the… whatever it was." Reimu responds reasonably.

"We almost died there…" Alice pushes herself back up to her feet, but she barely puts any weight on her previously injured ankle. It is still bothering her. "It sent us back because we promised that we would help. Technically, we don't have to go back..." She adds.

Reimu shakes her head. "And what about the disappearances? All those people that are disappearing and can't be saved unless we help them?"

"A-Ah... Well..." Alice stumbles through her words.

"If what Yukari said is true, then there would be more people missing if this continues, right?" Reimu explains. "The police wouldn't be able do anything and we are the only ones who can..."

Alice and Marisa look at each other, feeling kind of guilty that they only cared about themselves. Beside, they immediately knew it was hopeless to argue with the Miko either way.

End of Chapter Two

* * *

><p><strong>Author: Well, this is chapter 2 and I hope you readers enjoyed it. Now to do something I haven't done since my amateur years. *Reaches her right arm into her hammer space*<strong>

****RionAgrias: ***readies himself for the impending impact* This is because I... I... what did I forget to do again?**

**Author: *Pull out a truck* No. *Throws it away and then pulls out a microwave* No! *Pulls out a pale hair man* Adzel?**

** Adzel: Ah... Hi?**

** Author: *Throws Adzel into a shredder and reaches into the hammer space once more*  
><strong>

****RionAgrias: **Uhh... No comprende...**

**Author: **There we go!** *Takes out a dusty metal sign with the words, "Please Read and Review!" written on it* Hey there old friend... *Blows off the dust and stabs it to the floor***

****RionAgrias: **Now, now... when has violence ever solved anything?**

**Author: Never, but I'm gonna do it anyway.**

****RionAgrias: **Now that's the spirit.**

**Author: You bet. See ya all next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author: Hey RionAgrias.**

**RionAgrias: Hey Author.**

**Author: Do we have something to say? Something that people actually cares?**

**RionAgrias: I've found the meaning of life! Sunshine and Lollipops!**

**Author: No! RionAgrias went insane!**

**RionAgrias: Now... you are implying that I was sane to begin with.**

**Author: You aren't?**

**RionAgrias: I thought the answer was obvious.**

**Author: Whatever, how about you have a long comment on Persona 4 the Animation?**

**RionAgrias: I find the random table tennis and Aika awkward. Margaret shouldn't sing. It would be better if it was longer. I think they're either too lazy, too indecisive, or too scared to upset certain fans to put in a canon relationship.**

**Author: They are hinting at a KanjiXNaoto. Something you dislike as well?**

**RionAgrias: Excuse me while I gag myself...**

**Author: I will revive you after... *Pause* Crap, we went overboard with the length again didn't we...**

東方人格夢  
><span>Alternate Tale of Eastern Fantasy: Persona<span>

Chapter 3: The Shadow of the One Who Ran Away

* * *

><p>"How does your ankle feel now, Alice?" Reimu asks while she slowly organizes rolls of bandages and bottles of medicines back into the box of the first-aid kit.<p>

Alice slowly stands up and gingerly moves her foot about in a circle. "Thanks... it's not as painful as before."

"Glad to help, ze!" Marisa smiles.

"You didn't do anything!" Alice retorts, though she is not really angry.

Marisa gives a response. "Well… you were not going to let me help you."

"What is that supposed to mean!" Alice puffs out her cheeks, noticing that Marisa seemed to have taken her fake anger a little more seriously.

Alice is waiting for Marisa to give another response when the longer-haired blonde suddenly sticks out her tongue. "Just kidding…"

Instead of trying to stop anymore arguing, Reimu starts laughing. Marisa and Alice look at Reimu and the shrine maiden says. "You two are so funny…"

Alice puts her hands on her waist. "I don't think it is that funny."

Within record time for both blondes, a very light snoring soon echoes inside the bedroom walls. Through the peace and quiet, however, Reimu seeks an answer to the question that still lingers in her mind. The confusion in her head forces her to leave her futon and the other girls; she moves to the bedroom door.

Quietly exiting the bedroom, the shrine maiden makes her way through the pathways of her shrine. The mysterious blue key she had acquired earlier materializes with a simple thought. The strange object levitates just over palm and its end points to a direction similar to a compass would. Reimu follows its guiding and eventually ends up taking her...

_"The storage room?"_ Reimu thinks; she is confused on why the key would lead her here.

The key floats over to the door and makes contact with it. In a blue flash of light, the poorly colored and badly maintained door is transformed into an aqua blue, glass-like entity. It looked more beautiful then any of those you would find in the wealthiest of mansions.

The mysterious key returns to her and quickly vanishes once more, leaving its owner in amazement.

"I guess this is where I enter the Velvet Room from now on?" mutters Reimu. She walks up and reaches for the doorknob.

The door opens with an ominous feeling coming out from the other side, similar to how it was in her dream. Reimu enters the Velvet Room to find Igor sitting behind his mini-table.

The long-nosed and cryptic man is not alone this time; sitting on another chair by his left side is a mature blonde woman with wavy very long platinum-blond hair. She is dressed in a royal blue outfit with rather large buttons that run up the whole dress and a huge book titled, "Le Grimoire", is resting on her lap.

"Ah... Miss Hakurei." The strange gentleman greets. "I give you my congratulation for unlocking your potential. Please, have a seat."

Reimu nods and takes her seat on the same chair she had taken on her last visit in this mysterious room, facing the strange inhabitants of the Velvet Room.

Igor moves his hand to the direction of the blonde woman beside him. "This is Margaret, my assistant. I was neglected from introducing her due to her absence in our last meeting. She too is a resident of this place, like myself."

"My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey." The polite woman introduces herself with respectable manners. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss. Hakurei."

"Nice to meet you too." replies Reimu delightfully, feeling kind of grateful that there is someone here she could at least relate to besides Igor. The Miko reaches out her right hand.

Margaret flinches and pauses for a very quick moment for some reason. Eventually, she reaches out her left hand, albeit tentatively. "Please, you are too kind." She gives Reimu a gentle handshake.

"Igor?" Reimu turns to the strange gentlemen. "This strange power of mine... It's called a Persona, isn't it? Can you explain it to me?"

"Most certainly." Igor nods and begins to explain. "A Persona is the manifestation of one's ego. It is a side of you that shows itself when you face the world around you. In another word... a facade of determination you wear to face the various difficulties in life."

"Most people can only have one Persona." Margaret adds. "Yours however, is that of the wild card."

"Wild card? Is there a difference?" Reimu asks curiously.

"Your Arcana is that of the Fool." Igor pointed out as he raises his left hand. The tarot card Reimu had used to summon Hakurei-no-Miko materializes in front of her face. The card differs from before as the once blank side is now filled with the image of the shrine maiden's Persona. "The Fool is like the number zero... empty, yet holding infinite potential within itself."

"Potential?" Reimu questions further.

Igor chuckles. "The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart... And the heart is strengthened through bonds. As you form bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The power of these Social Links is what will determine your Persona's abilities."

"Social Links are necessary for more than strengthening your Personae. At times, they will help light your way to the truth you are searching for." Margret places her hand on the large book on her lap. Hakurei-no-Miko's card flies over to the cover and vanishes into it as it descends down.

Reimu looks at the scene with amazement. "What happened to it?"

"This is the Persona Compendium." Margaret answers simply. "It keeps track of each of your Personae every time you forge a new bond."

Reimu's face screws up in confusion. "I guess I understand…"

Margaret nods as she says. "The Compendium is as much of a part of your power as your Personae are."

Reimu thinks. _"I don't really get any of this, but… this is my new power."_

Igor's focus had stayed on Reimu the whole time and he says to her, "It's about to time for you to return." Igor smiles as he continues. "This is as a dream and no time will have passed."

"_A dream…"_

Igor stares straight at the Miko. "Until we meet again…"

The exhausted Shrine Maiden nods with gratitude. She removes her body from the chair she is sitting on and makes her way to the door where she makes her exit.

With the retiring of their guest, Margaret finally decides to ask questions she had stopped herself from posing earlier. "Master? May I ask you about our guest?"

"Certainly." The old gentleman replies.

"...The wild card ability of this guest... feels different from the other previous one-"

"Please Margaret." Igor stops the conversation. "All guests in the velvet room are equal and deserve our services."

* * *

><p>"So where are we going, Marisa?" Reimu questions as she follows the longer-haired blonde through the somewhat busy street of the town's shopping district.<p>

"Where else, ze? This path only leads to one place." Marisa replies; she seems a little irritated toward Reimu's question.

Alice sighs with a little boredom in her tone. "That old place again?"

"Don't call it old! Kourindou had the best deal when compared to any other shop!" Marisa says with more than a little annoyance.

"That's only because you are friends with the owner of that antique shop, Marisa." Reimu points out. "Although I wouldn't call it a bad thing, since it makes things affordable to the shrine's budget."

"But still... Do you really think that is the best place to..." Alice swallows her breath. "... Buy weapons?"

"It will be fine! Last time I checked he still has a few katanas left, ze!"

"I don't think sixteen-year-olds can even buy swords..." Reimu sweat dropped.

The trio continues their walk until they come across their destination; a store that looked like it was something out of the seventeenth century. The general base and most of the store was surprisingly built out of wood and stone. The wood was both the siding and covering the stone base. Either way, the foundation would most likely crumble if it ever caught fire. The plate with the name, "Kourindou" in kanji, was placed on top of its front door proudly.

Marisa smiles as she walks into the store quick like a child would to a candy store. "Hey! Rinnosake!"

There was a young man with short silver hair who was taking a peaceful nap behind the counter. The longer blonde's sudden loud greeting shocked him abruptly and ended up causing him to tip over his wooden rocking chair.

"AH- What-?" The bewildered man grunts, thinking an unwanted thief had broken in. He disorderly picks himself up and grabs his glasses. "Oh... You scared me for a second there, Marisa."

Marisa grins. "Gee... Rinnosake. Why are you taking a nap during the opening hour, ze? It wasn't like you."

Morichika Rinnosuke is the proud owner of Kourindou. He is the childhood friend as well as the caretaker of Marisa when she was young. He was originally the apprentice to her father and had worked in his store before hand.

"I'm sorry." The sliver hair man scratches the back of his head yawning. "Kirisame-san got drunk again at midnight. The bar contacted me to go get him, so I haven't had enough sleep."

A few veins appeared on Marisa's forehead. "Stupid old man!" She stomps the ground with frustration. "Still wasting his money drinking while causing you so much trouble! Next time don't even bother helping him, ze!"

"It is all right Marisa. Kirisame-san was my mentor after all. I don't mind." Rinnosake replies. "But… Marisa... I know you are going to be displeased with all of this, but will you return home to your father?"

"No, Rinnosake." The longer blonde crosses her arms in disagreement. "We had this conversation before; I am not going back to clean up his mess or to be ignored again, ze. I am happy living at the shine with Reimu."

"But last night, when I was carrying him home he was muttering your name over and over... It pains me that-"

"I don't care. He can be dead if all I care." Harshly replies the longer blonde.

"Calm down Marisa." Alice says. "We know you don't like you father, but that was a little..."

Marisa puffed up her cheeks in anger. "Don't him call my father! That drunk doesn't deserve to be called that, ze!" The longer blonde dashes out of the store abruptly.

"Marisa!" Alice immediately limps after her friend but fails to catch her due to her injury.

Rinnosake sighs, feeling extremely horrible right now.

"Don't worry about her. She will be fine about an hour or two." Reimu insists, knowing her best friend all too well, like the back of her hand. "...Oh right. I almost forgot the entire reason why we came here in the first place. Rinnosake?"

The shrine maiden asks the shop owner on how to get some weapons; she completely lied, saying that it is for a school project of some sort.

"Hmmm... I see." Rinnosake nods in understanding. "Unfortunately, I don't have any weapons that might be interesting for that project of yours. I do have some old light body armors somewhere in the back… do you want them?"

"I can have them for free?" asks Reimu, delighted that she does not have to spend anything.

"Go ahead, nobody is gonna buy them anytime soon. It is better to put them into some form use, wait here." The silver-haired young man walks into the back and then returns minutes later with three sets of chest plates.

Reimu picks up one of the chest protectors and was surprised to see how light and durable it is. _"This should give us some protection to these Shadow things..."_ She feels obligated to thank Marisa's caretaker again, "Thank you for these. They're going to be perfect for our project."

"Anything for one of Marisa's friends…" Rinnosake nods.

Reimu looks to Alice and says. "We should get you back to your house…"

"Aw! I almost forgot, Reimu..." The silver haired man stops the pair suddenly and says to them. "When you find Marisa, can you give this to her?" The store owner pulls out a small jar of dim-yellow matter.

The Shrine maiden picks up the delivery. "What is this?"

"It is wood polishing wax. Marisa requested it last week." Answers Rinnosake.

"Wood polishing wax? Marisa… of all people?" Reimu raises an eyebrow in confusion and disbelieves. "Are you sure she really needs it? She never uses these kinds of things in the shrine."

Rinnosake coughs, while simultaneously sweatdropping since he also knows the dirty habits of the blonde. "Well... You see, this is for her necklace, or more accurately it is for that hexagon-shaped ornament."

"Marisa's necklace?" Reimu thinks out loud. "Come to think of it, Marisa never really goes into full detail about that strange wooden block. Do you know something, Rinnosake?"

"Somewhat." Rinnosake begins to explain. "For what I know, Marisa's mother was originally the owner and had it even before she was married to Kirisame-san." Rinnosake looks up, a little sad. "... It was given to her a little while before that car accident took her mother's life."

Reimu and Alice looks down, just as sad . "So that is why she never brings up her mom..."

The store keeper sighs. "Kirisame-san only became an alcoholic after her death. But can you really blame him? He is just as depressed as Marisa is."

"No... I guess not."

"Reimu, I have a request."

The shrine maiden looks at the silver haired man. "Yes?"

"You and Alice are the only ones that she opens up to, so..."

"I understood, we will do what we can." Reimu agrees.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>The longer-haired blonde's anger was short lived, having to calm down and threw those angry thoughts to the back of her mind. The group now escorts the limping Alice back to her home.<p>

"Mother, I'm home!" Alice knocks on the door to her house; it was a rather wealthy looking townhouse, located in the most peaceful parts of Koryu's neighborhood.

"You know Alice, every time I look at you house I get a little jealous, ze." remarks Marisa, jokingly.

"Really?" Alice mutters quietly. _"But too bad you don't know the price of being in a middle class family..."_

The door opens as the face of a woman in her mid-thirties appears. She has shoulder length black hair and is dressed like a businesswoman that included the tight gray dress skirt, blouse and dark heels.

"Alice!" Mrs. Margatroid shouts at her daughter with a stark tone. "What happened to your ankle!"

Alice looks a little taken aback at her mother's sharp words. She struggles to give a response to satisfy her. "I… I'm sorry… I…"

Seeing Alice in obvious distress, Reimu answers. "While she stayed the night… she tripped on a step walking down from the shrine and kind of landed on her ankle."

Though Marisa nods in agreement, Alice can't help but think, _"This is the best lie you can come up with?"_

Alice's mother seems to think the same as Alice as well as she questions, "I'm supposed to believe that?" She continues. "I don't know what you did to Alice, but… that is completely… it is unacceptable!"

Alice hangs her head as the ranting continues, most of it directed towards Reimu and Marisa. Her mother considered the pair 'miscreants' and 'troublemakers' and bad influences for her daughter.

"Are you even listening to me, Alice?" her mom asks after a long line of lecturing.

Alice's frown was evident as she nods silently. She wants to say something back, say that it is not fair to blame her like this; she just wants to stand up for herself and took a deep breath. "_I have to do this."_

Alice says. "They're not miscreants, and it wasn't their fault I got hurt."

"That's right!" Marisa agrees. "It's not our fault!"

Reimu shakes her head. "Marisa… Alice… that's okay…"

Alice looks confused at why Reimu had stymied both of their defenses of their innocence. However, Alice's mother looks annoyed and says in annoyance. "I've had enough. I need to go to work, not deal with you three."

"_That's her child she's talking about…" _Reimu thinks.

Alice's mom steps away, leaving the three alone. Alice apologizes. "I'm sorry. My mom can be a bit… rough." She takes a deep breath. "I want to help you guys… for everything you've done… however I can."

"Don't worry about it, Alice. Me and Reimu will finish the job, ze." Marisa gives her best friend a wink after gesturing to herself when she said 'me'. "Besides, your injured ankle wouldn't help out too much. You may just end up holding us back."

Alice suddenly feels uncomfortable, but she did not show it. The pang that resonated in the heart of the blond could not be expressed through simple words.

* * *

><p>"Oh... You guys are back already?" Yukari yawns loudly with her large mouth. "What timing... I was just about to have my beauty nap too..."<p>

A few veins appear on the forehead of Marisa as she burst out in anger. "To heck with that! We are here to investigate about the disappearances! Not watch you sleep!"

"In the case you have forgotten, tomboy. I'm a Youkai and I could care less about the humans." The strange creature said with a carefree attitude. "I'm only here to get this over with so I could get some peace and quiet later on."

Reimu frowns on Youkai's words; she can't really blame her through. If it wasn't for the strange creature, they would have still been stuck in this place with no way out.

"That is it! From now on I'm gonna call you "Yukkuri shiteitte ne", ze!" the now angry Marisa shouts childishly.

Yukari raise an eyebrow. ""Take it easy?" What do you mean by that?"

"That is the name of my favorite brand of package dango. Their mascot reminded me of you, ze!"

Reimu almost dropped down anime style toward her best friend's choice of nicknames.

"Hmmm..." Yukari closes her eyes and thinks for a moment. "...Yukkuri does sound kind of cute."

_"What?"_ Reimu thinks. _"Yukari can't be serious."_

"Perfect!" Marisa smiles, forgetting her anger temporarily.

Reimu shakes her head, "These two are going to be nothing but trouble."

The investigation begins as two human girls and an oversized head shape Youkai (now titled "Yukkuri") wander down the hazy path of the twisted version of Koryu.

* * *

><p>Turning their attention for a moment back to reality, Alice's mother had just left the house in order to continue her paperwork back at her workplace; irresponsibly leaving her daughter all alone in the large townhouse.<p>

The always neat and meticulous blonde's bad feelings begin to get into her head as she rests in her room. She sits on the chair by her working desk with a desk lamp, her fingers stitching up pieces of fabrics into a new creation with an amazing, almost miraculous precision. Within minutes, an adorable female doll with long golden hair is seemingly brought to life with the kind of quality that puts many industrial makers to shame.

_"Beside, your injured ankle wouldn't help out too much. You may just end up holding us back."_ Marisa's words echoes in her ears over and over again.

The hair-banded teen sets down the newly made doll on the table. She sighs. _"Why I am I feeling so bad about myself...? Is it because I'm scared of going back to that place? Is it because I... can't help… help Reimu and Marisa even if I tried!"_

**"****_You managed to escape, human…_****"**

Alice's eyes widen with the sudden unknown presence appearing behind her, she turns her head behind her with a mixture of fear and confusion to face something unexpected.

A figure that can only be described as a Phantom since all Alice could see is a humanoid in the cover of a black hooded cloak. Within the hood of the cloak two golden eyes that ring out warning bells of hostility as they pierce into the young woman's soul.

Alice immediately tries to scream for help by opening her mouth as large as possible. The entity, however, stops her from emitting any cries by covering her mouth with its right hand. The cloaked figure has very few human aspects since it is covered in a dark aura.

"Mhmmm...!" Alice struggles futilely as the Phantom's hand tightens around her face, unable to break free due to its monstrous strength.

**"****_I do not know how you managed to escape from the other side._****"** The unknown entity says with a somewhat female-like voice. **"****_But it will not happen again. Now... return to the other side._****"** The Phantom's glaring pupils begins to illuminate with a confusing form of gold.

Alice loses her consciousness as she unwillingly looks at the being who has ensnared her, but her body continues to move. The Phantom releases her as she slowly walks toward her desk; her body reaches for the first drawer and then pulls out a piece of chalk...

* * *

><p>"This place is too large!" Marisa yells as she drops to her butt around the twisted version of the road leading to Kourindou. "There is nothing else to check in this place!"<p>

"Well that didn't last long." Yukari sighs with a bit of boredom in her tone. "But you are right though… there isn't any strange activity around the area..."

"Wait." Reimu raise an eye in disbelieve. "How do you know?"

"I am the Youkai of boundary remember? Even with my weakened abilities I can easily feel the boundary around me." The "Yukkari" explains. "I can check my surrounding with almost 100% accuracy."

"You could've told us earlier!" Marisa complains with irritation. "We could've saved a lot of time this afternoon, ze!"

About to respond the long blonde's irritated remarks, Yukari suddenly pauses and turns to her left. "Shsshh... Be quiet, something is coming."

Both teens follow the Youkai's direction with only their eyes. Over in the distance, concealed by the lifeless gray of this world, is what looks like a humanoid figure slowly moving toward them.

"A Shadow!" exclaims Reimu. The card containing her Persona appears in her right hand in a flash of blue, ready to shatter and unleash its summoning if anything threatening happens.

The unknown figure walks closer and closer and...

"Hold it Reimu! I think I recognize her, ze!" Marisa steps in fronts of her best friend to stop her from summoning her Persona. "She's one of the disappearances from our class!"

As the figure moves into clearer lighting, the figure turns out to be a girl of the same age as the pair who traveled here from the shrine. The newly-appeared girl is black-haired with a short ponytail. Her body is covered with light injuries and clothed in a badly torn school uniform.

The long blonde reaches for the high school student. "Hey... are you-"

The girl ignores her completely. She walks pass Marisa like the blond is an invisible ghost and continues until Reimu steps in fronts of her path.

"Are you all right...?" The shrine maiden asks as she grabs the girl on the shoulder and takes a good look at her. Reimu quickly gasps at the sight of the black-haired girl close-up. "AH!"

The black eyes of the poor girl had both of its pupils widened so large that it appears blank. There was no apparent physical damage to her body, but the mental damage… Her entire face resembles that of a broken rape victim, embodied with deep tear marks that reveal a shattered soul, devoid of all emotion...

Yukari leaps beside Marisa. "You know this human?"

"Y-Yes… She is kind of a nobody in the class... her name is... Hiroko, I think, ze. She is also the one whom I got the SiN ritual rumors from…" explains the now frightened blonde. "W-What happened to her?"

Yukari opens a gap and leaps into it, and then appears by Hiroko's side by her height. She exams the poor girl's face with the use of her hair, allowing her to move her head to view from each angle. "...The Shadows got her, I'm afraid. She is lucky enough to be found in time; any longer she would've died." The Yukkari said with a sigh. "Not that it matters though... She's nothing more but a waste of space now."

"Don't say things like that! She is at least alive!" Reimu replies in response to Yukari's nonchalant attitude. "Come on, the least we can do is take her home." The shrine maiden grabs the poor victim's left arm and signals the emotionless teen to move by her side.

_"I can never get humans... Why would they bother keeping something completely useless around? Whatever, their loss I guess."_ Yukari thinks quietly under her breath.

"But Reimu… If we take her back and to her family, wouldn't we become the center of the media's attention, ze?" asks Mairsa. "What if the police decide to play a visit, ze!"

"Oh..." The Miko pauses in sudden realization. "I didn't think that far ahead... Hey, Yukari."

"Eh?"

"Can you open your gap-thingies around her house and let us drop her off?" She asks with a carefree attitude.

Yukari raise an eye with annoyance. "What am I? Your personal sidekick?"

"**_I have a better idea... What about handing yourself over, murderer?_**" The voice of a young girl interrupted the scenery and ruins the atmosphere of the conversation.

Reimu, Marisa, and Yukari quickly turn behind them to find a strange blonde-haired child; the small girl wears nothing more but a thin white nightgown and a pair of gray slippers. She somehow looks exactly like a five-year-old version of Marisa, but that is not even the weirdest part about her. The stranger's eyes are inhumanly yellow and alien-like, and on top of that, she has a dreadful dark aura radiating around her body.

"W-What the-!" Marisa gasps loudly with confusion. "Who are you, ze?"

"T-Two Marisas?" Reimu exclaims. "Yukari, what is happening here? Why are there two Marisas?"

Yukari's eyes closes slowly as she answers. "That... is that tomboy's Shadow..."

"M-Marisa's Shadow?" Reimu's eyes widen. "How...?"

"Remember, Shadows are the embodiment of humanity's dark feelings and hidden secrets. And everyone, no matter who they are, has a hidden side. That tomboy is no exception." Yukari grinds her teeth as her border detection screams danger in her mid._ "But one at this level of power? That girl must have an unimaginable secret..."_

"_**Hehehe... I am you and you are me of course, ze.**_" The unknown child says before she points to Marisa. "**_Why are you suddenly being so hero-like? How long are you gonna hide the reason you came to this place at the first place, Murderer?_**"

Marisa burst out with confusion and anger. "N-Nonsense! Me and Reimu cam-"

"_**Shut up, don't lie. You never intended to help anyone when you first arrived back in here. Let's "take her home and back to her family" my ass! You just wanted some excitement while tying to be a hero!**_" She laughs maliciously. "_**But **_**_how could you possibly have the right to save anyone when you are already a murderer to begin with?_**"

"W-What are you talking about, ze?" Marisa replies furiously, but her expression says otherwise.

"_**Of course you are a murderer. You suppressed that fact for eleven straight years! You suppressed me for eleven years!**_" The Shadow exclaims. "_**Remember that stormy afternoon? Who was the immature brat that cried "Oh mommy you promised!" for almost an hour and almost drove her mother insane?**_"

"N-No... I didn't-! Stop lying!" Marisa's yells in denial.

"**_None of the things I said were lies._**" The doppelganger grins at Marisa. "_**And mommy died after because some asshole decides to drive that day... But the one who is ultimately responsible is me... Marisa Kirisame!**_"

"Marisa..." Reimu mutters sadly. _"Is this why..."_

"_**And right after mommy went to heaven... Everyone talks behind my back, saying weird things and sees me like a lunatic! Daddy is useless after that, he just spends all of his time in the bar drinking his ass off!**_" The doppelganger continues the mock. "**_It is so nice when the shrine maiden decides to came by..._**"

"Stop it!" A small tear drops from Marisa's eyes, running down her cheek.

"**_... She gives me an opportunity to run away and let me stay with her! Such stupidity! Best of all, she never kicked me out even when I laze around the shrine all day! Thank you so much... Reimu!_**"

"I SAID STOP IT! STOP PRETENDING TO BE ME! STOP MOCKING REIMU! YOU ARE NOT ME!" Marisa screams her lungs out, denying the doppelganger face on.

"_**Muhahahahahahaha! You are right! I'm not you anymore!**_" The darkness around the doppelganger erupted and starts burning like purple flames. "**_So I will now do the world a favor... AND GET RID OF YOU, MURDERER!_**"

The other Marisa melted into a burst of darkness before it slowly morphs into a monstrosity. The Shadow takes the form of a towering figure, standing around nine feet tall; it bears striking resemblance to Marisa. The Shadow has a 5 corner gray star shape mask and is dressed in a stereotypical jail outfit, complete with the black and white striped pattern. Its wrists and ankles are manacled by massive black chains that are attached to a platform it stands on. The platform shapes exactly like Marisa's necklace.

"**_I am the shadow... the true self. For repressing me for eleven years... I will get rid of you all! So bitches_**, **_get out of the way!_**" By throwing out its arms and with a wave of its chains, a massive lightning bolt is cast towards the group, right at Marisa.

"MARISA!" Reimu dashes forward pushes her confused and shell-shocked best friend down just in time for the electricity to rush by them. "Yukari! Get Hiroko to somewhere safe!"

"Darn it..." A gap opens behind the youkai. She quickly pushes (more like a throw) the emotionless victim into it before leaping in herself. "Be careful, that thing is weak to Wind!" The gap closes just in time before another bolt hits it.

Reimu nods, she raises her hand with her Persona card between her fingers. "PERSONA!" The card shatters with a twist motion, bring forth Hakurei-no-Miko.

"_Thou must be cautious against this foe; it wields an element that puts thee in disadvantage._" The persona warns while she moves into battle position.

"I got it." Reimu raises her hand and commands. "Go!"

Hakurei-no-Miko immediately rushes forward at her target with the gohei whip raised.

"**Don't get in my way!**" The Shadow roars, casting streams of lightning at the Persona. But all of them missed as Hakurei-no-Miko would gracefully adjust her body each time to make the bolt stream by her. The yin-yang orbs that follow her then counter the attacks with Exorcism Amulet shots.

Unfortunately, the amulets fail to do any damage as the monstrosity simply burns off the holy papers with more lightning.

"Tch." Reimu grunts. "Then we will fight magic with magic, Garu!"

The Persona waves her arms and the yin-yang orbs glows once more, causing a blast of emerald color blade of wind to be sent toward the Shadow. The monstrosity growl in pain as it was stunned.

"**_Bitch!_**" The doppelganger curses while it tries to recover. "_**Fine! If you want to be a hero this badly, then try your best to save that murderer!**_" Its massive chains clash once again as this time, it casts out star shaped projectiles toward the unconscious Marisa.

"MARISA!" Reimu cried, instantly leaping after her best-friend. She manages to get the blonde out of the way by doing a back roll. However the star shape projectiles, although missed her, ended up exploring into small fields of spark. The electric currents catch the shrine maiden's legs, causing her to yell in pain.

With her summoner in distress, Hakurei-no-Miko's agile movement was reduced. The Shadow then quickly takes advantages of this moment and bashes the Persona with its chain, sending her feet away.

Another surge of pain radiates through out Reimu's body; she probably wouldn't be able to take another one.

"That was cheating!" The Miko shouts at the Shadow.

"**_Ahahaha...!_**" More powerful streams of lightning continue to be hurled in her direction, forcing Reimu and her Persona into fighting defensively. Hakurei-no-Miko sets up a barrier of holy charms to give protection from the electric spells while her yin-yang orbs fire Exorcism Amulet, Persuasion Needle, and Garu spells.

_"We can't keep this up forever..."_ thinks Reimu, feeling her strength being drain little by little every time Hakurei-no-Miko's projectiles fail to cause damages.

"Mom..." Marisa mumbles in her unconscious state, seeming to be in a dream.

* * *

><p><em>"Mommy! What is this?" A much younger Marisa says as she sits comfortably on her mother's lap. Her eyes beaming with amazement and wander, stares into the strange hexagon-shaped wooden object in her possession.<em>

_Her dear mother, a woman in her late twenties and yet retaining a much younger face, smiles at her daughter's innocence. She puts down the hairbrush she had used to fix her unnaturally green long hair. "This is called a "Hakkero", Sweetie." She says with possibly the softest voice known._

_"Oh? "Hakkero"?" The five-year-old asks, now wanting to know more about this strange yet wonderful-looking object._

_"It is the treasure of my side of the family. My mother's mother had passed it to her and she had passed it to me." Marisa's mother explains as she takes the ornament out of her daughter's hand and strings it with a thin rubber band. "It has the ability to banish evil with the use of love..." She places the Hakkero onto Marisa's neck like a necklace. _

_"To banish evil with love?"_

_"Yes... But only use it when you truly want to save the one you love. And now... it is yours, Sweetie. Please treasure it with care."_

_"I will Mommy!" The seven-year-old squeals with joy._

_Unfortunately, this is the last treasured memory both mother and daughter shared. Before that dreadful car accident separated both across the bounder of life and death._

_All because the innocent child selfishly wanted pretty beads to fashion her most treasured..._

* * *

><p>"Hakurei-no-Miko!"<p>

Marisa's eyes slowly opens as the noise of a war zone like battle rages on above her, countless explosions echoes into her ears and beating against her eardrums. The first thing her eyes see from the point of view of her head resting on her kneeling best friend are her losing expressions as she commands her Persona through combat.

"R-Reimu..." The longer-haired blonde slowly mutters.

The Miko immediately turns her attention towards the now awake blond when she hears her voice. "M-Marisa! ...Thank Kami that you are alright..."

"Reimu... I-I..." Marisa says quietly under her breath while her body begins to shake, bits of tears can be seen on the edges her eyes. "I killed mom... She died because of me!" The young girl bursts out loud.

Reimu's eyes begin to widen, mainly in surprise of her friend's confession. "M-Marisa..."

Marisa covers both of her eyes with her hands. "B-Because... I... wanted beads for a necklace a-and...!"

"Please Marisa... You were just a kid back then-" The Miko tries to reason with her.

"No! That day was raining cats and dogs! But I-I still...!" Her eyes can not hold back her emotions any longer and they proceed to flow out of her like two identical waterfalls. "I killed my own mother! ...T-That thing was right... I'm a murderer... I cause trouble for everyone... You, Alice, Rinnosake, and even dad... The one that shouldn't exist should've been me-!"

SLAP!

A sudden surge of pain explodes on the longer-blonde's right cheek as a red hand mark becomes visible. Reimu immediately grabs Marisa's collar roughly and forces her to sit up. The Miko stares straight into Marisa's depressed, teary eyes with a very threatening glare.

"The Marisa I knew would never say something like that!" Reimu shouts out loud with each word filled with fury and frustration. "... Even when you freeload at my shrine, eat my groceries, the fact that you never help me clean, that you make a mess of things, and sit around idly instead of helping during the tourist season..." Her iron grip around the longer haired-blonde begins to shake.

Marisa's eyes slowly widens as a few tears begins to flow out from the corners of her best friend's eyes.

"... I never, _ever_...thought ill of you or hated you once, Marisa..." The shrine maiden's iron grip loosens instead of tightening around her best friend. "So please... Stop blaming yourself… it hurts me more to see you in pain-"

This heart-warming scene of friendship is brutally interrupted when a powerful beam of lightning tears through Hakurei-no-Miko's barrier and sends the Persona clashing to the ground, only feet away from the pair. Reimu immediately screams in an extreme amount of pain through her mental connection with her Persona. She falls down besides Marisa, paralyzed and unable to get up.

"R-Reimu!" Marisa cries in horror, fearing the worst. "No..."

"R...un... Marisa..." Reimu mutters very faintly.

"_**Ahahahahaaa...**_" The malicious laugh echoes throughout the air. "_**See now...? All you have ever done in your life has brought trouble to everyone around you... You do not deserve to exist...**_"

Marisa looks down and at he fallen friend, emotions rages in her hearts as she thought. Something in her brain snapped. "No..."

The Shadow's non-visible eyes widen as Marisa stands back onto her own feet. The blonde takes off her Hakkero necklace and holds it tight in her right hand. Marisa starts to wipe the tears over her eyes. "... The one that shouldn't have existed was you!"

"M...arisa..." Reimu gasps, still in pain.

Marisa turns her head down slightly more to look at her injured friend. "I'm sorry for acting so pathetic just now, ze..." She returns her gaze to her Shadow. "... Deep down I thought of myself as a trouble to everyone because of what others thought of me behind my back, it was dumb of me wasn't it?"

"_**AAAAUUUURRRRRGGGGGHHHH!**_" The massive Shadow monstrosity begins to groan in pain as its power slowly vanished. Its body begins to shift back and forth between a materialistic and illusionary being, static being the catalyst between the shifting forms." _**Y-YOU FOOL! Don't forget that you are a MURDERER! DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD-**_"

"I know that!" Marisa shouts back valorously. "But right now is not the time to grieve about my own problems! I have to protect Reimu, like she risked her life protected me!" Both of her arms rise up before her, holding the Hakkero in front of her like a weapon.

"**_Shut up...! SHUT UP! SHUT THE HELL UP_****!**" The Shadow screams as countless amounts of sparks, buzzing, and star-shaped projectiles condense above it to form a massive cloud; It threatens to clash down like a massive avalanche and bury both of teens. "**_DIE!_**"

_"Hakkero..."_ Marisa prays desperately from the depths of her heart. _"Mom said that you had the power to banish evil with the use of love, if it is true then please... SAVE US!"_

Despite not being a living orgasm or having a will of its own, the hexagon-shaped ornament answers to her call. The Eight Trigram symbols on its surface begin to glow with the rays of the seven-colors. Specks of golden particles slowly appear and gather within the center circle.

"_**I WON'T LET YOU!**_" With a wave of its huge chains, three bolts of lightning are sent toward Marisa, about to fry her to a crisp.

"Crap...!" Marisa cries out; there is no way she can move out of the way in time.

Just then, however, Hakurei-no-Miko leaps in front of the long-haired blonde. With one last ditch effort of a desperate block, she manages to nullify the electric attack with her barrier of holly charms.

"R-Reimu!" Marisa gasps with hope and looks behind her. Her sight catches the face of the smiling Shrine Maiden (although it is not really a smile since she is still groaning in pain). "You're all right!"

Reimu wraps her arms around her best friend and places her hand over Marisa's own, holding the Hakkero as well. "I don't know want you are trying to do... But do it quick!"

"You got it, ze!" Marisa replies with courage in her tone.

"**PERISH!**" With that command, the massive cloud of star-shaped projectiles descends down toward the teens with all the intentions to kill.

The Hakkero is now glowing brightly with all seven colors, signaling the limit of its power. Marisa shouts loudly of her firing order with courage and bravery:

"TASTE THE POWER OF LOVE BETWEEN OUR FRIENDSHIP; MASTER SPARK!"

All of that energy charged within the wooden block, unleashed with one declaration. The Hakkero releases a pillar of energy that radiates with beautiful rainbow-like colors and buzzing with voltage-like noise. The blast burn its way through the "cloud of stars" and clears away the dangers. It heads straight for its owner's Shadow.

"_**AAAAAAUUUUURRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH-!**_"

The monstrosity is completely enveloped into the multi-colored energy; it was not long until its silhouette disappears into the bright light. The blast continues to fly forward; it rips through even the twisted background of the alternate world and lasting for a full fifteen seconds before it finally show signs of calming down.

When all activity dies down, the ground in fronts of them is seen engraved with the scar of the beam. There is now a tunnel that winds through the twisted buildings that is still smoking. The haze by both teens' feet is gone, but it is only a matter of time until it gathers again.

Marisa drops to her butt panting heavily, too exhausted to even stand. "W-We won... ze..."

"That... was incredible..." Reimu gasps and does the same as her best friend, landing beside her.

"I guest now I'm not the only one with strange powers, ze..." jokes the blonde tiredly while looking at the now warm Hakkero in her hand, referring to Reimu's Persona just as Hakurei-no-Miko vanishes through a blue glow.

Of course, the familiar gap belonging to Yukari returns just when everything calms down (What timing). The Yukkuri leaps out with her face in a surprised expression. "...You guys actually beat that Shadow."

Marisa _'really'_ wants to yell at Yukkuri, but she is just too tired to make it more of an uproar.

"**_Why..._**" The creepy voice of Marisa's doppelganger returns, but this time it is different. The Shadow struggles itself out of the piles of rubble and now looking somewhat harmless, the burns and damaged clothes easily draws sympathy from the group.

"How!" Reimu cries in disbelieves. "There is no way she could-"

"She is a Shadow; that makes it a part of Marisa. It will never disappear as long as the tomboy still breaths." Yukari points out coldly. "Don't worry through; she will not attack us as long as Marisa does not reject her again."

"**_Why did you leave me with so much pain, all alone, ze?_**" The doppelganger cries with tears streaming in her eyes. "_**The guilt... The memory... Mommy...**_!" The now innocent and poor girl drops to her knees and quickly buries her face into her palms.

"It's your call, Marisa." Yukari says calmly. "Face your deepest secret or prepare to fight her all over again."

"Yukari!" Reimu cries. "Don't force Mar-"

"It is alright, Reimu." Marisa slowly gets back to her feet despite her body screaming that it did not want to move. She slowly musters enough strength to walk over to her other self. "I am sorry, ze."

"_**Huh?**_" The Shadow momentarily stops her tears and raises her head to face her original.

"... When Mom died, I truly thought of myself as a murderer..." Marisa stares down onto her palms as if they are soaked in blood. "Even through I wasn't the one to blame and it was only an accident, I can't help but to feel guilty."

"Marisa..." Reimu whispers.

"Of course, this feeling only worsens because of my stupid old man. Leaving me all alone at home to get drunk at night..." Marisa grunts under her breath with anger. "So as the other kids in the neighborhood secretly talk behind my back as if I don't know. I even went to the first day of school alone..." The blonde turns to her best friend with a smile. "But that all vanished when I met you, Reimu..."

* * *

><p><em>"What is your name?" A six-year-old Reimu asks innocently and cheerfully.<em>

_"Ma...risa, ze." The shy Blonde child answers timidly. "Kirisame Marisa."_

_"Marisa?" repeats the black-haired child. "It sounds kind of weird..."_

_Marisa pauses with a sadness in her heart; Oh great, another one to talk behind her back-_

_"But it is a great name! My name is Hakurei Reimu!" giggles the happy little girl. "So, Marisa. Why are you not playing with the others?"_

_"I-I afraid of them, they always talk weird things behind my back, ze..."_

_"They do? How mean of them!" Reimu puffs up her cheeks in anger, but she calms down straight after the statement. "Come to think of it, I don't have any friends either. Everybody doesn't feel very good around me just because I'm a shrine maiden."_

_"You are a shrine maiden?" questions Marisa, surprised. _

_"Well... I'm going to be one, when I'm old enough." she says proudly while lightly patting her chest. "Hey?"_

_"Y-Yes?"_

_The would-be Miko reaches out her hand. "How about we become friends? You can come to my house if you want! I'm sure dad wouldn't mind!" She welcomes the lonely child with the largest and most honest smile Marisa has seen in her six years of experiences, rivaling the one her own mother would show in her presence._

_Marisa's face changes and blushes deeply as red as a tomato, feeling as if something has hit her heart that her immature child mind has yet to know the meaning. Her lips form a smile for the first time since that dreadful day._

* * *

><p>"Marisa... I never knew..." Reimu stares on.<p>

Marisa smiles at her memory. "After we became best friends, I had almost completely forgotten that guilt behind me. I sat back to enjoy the life I have by your side..."

"**_It was so lonely resting inside you, alone with the pain..._**" The Shadow cries with depressing sadness.

"Not anymore, ze." The newly-encouraged long-haired blonde lowers herself down to her other self's height and reaches out with both of her arms. "If there is any guilt for us to face than let's do it together." Marisa declares. "Isn't it right? Da ze?"

The dark aura outlining the doppelganger vanished, along with her inhumanly yellow eyes. The young child moves forward and jumps into her original's arms with the greatest of joy. "Yes! Da ze!"

The area around the three is suddenly covered in warm blue light, identical to Reimu's first summoning of her Persona. The Shadow self dissolves in a flash of white mist and sparkle.

"Is that... What I think it is...?" whispers Reimu with amazement and wonder.

A figure emerges from the blue aura. It is a woman in her twenties with striking similarity to Marisa. Her face is covered in a star-shaped mask and she dresses in a black outfit that consists of a black European style dress that is over a light pink shirt with a deep green tie. She also wears black fingerless glove, light pink socks, and black leather shoes. On the top of her head is a pointy witch hat with noticeable white fluffy frills lining underneath. She remains in the air by sitting sideways on a wooden broom.

"_Thou am I, and I am Thou. I am Kirisama-no-Mahoutsukai, the "ordinary" magician! Let's bring the world peace while blasting our enemies with the flashiest display of magic and love, da ze!_" The figure declares with a carefree attitude. She greets Marisa with an adjustment of her hat before vanishing into the light blue mist. The mist condenses into a familiar form, the form of a sheet of tarot card labeled "The Magician".

"This... is...?" The blonde raises her hands to catch the floating card.

"It is your Persona." Reimu points out with a smile.

"I guess you are not the only one with power similar to the shrine maiden's." Yukari adds.

"... My Persona..." Marisa closes her eyes and smiles. The card disappears immediately as her hands close in to grab it. A wave of blue and warmth radiates over Marisa's body, instantly lessening the pains of her body with its smooth feelings. "It feels wonderful..."

The blonde loses her footing, but Reimu manages to catch her. Both fall to the ground again with a large thud. The next moment they are bursting out into uncontrollable laughter, knowing they had just conquered something huge.

Yukari looks left and right at both girls on the floor. "I swear, humans can be so weird sometimes."

End of Chapter three

* * *

><p><span>Game Mechanic-izing<span>

Shadow Marisa

[BGM: The Witch's Ball ~ Magus]

Arcana: Magician

Level: 3 on easy/ 5 on normal/ 6 on hard/ 8 on Lunatic

Null: Light and Darkness/ Resist: Electric/ Weak: Wind

Strategy: Ignores what was said in the story, she is actually pretty easy first boss when change into a game format. That is as long as you can remember her attack pattern, it goes; Normal Attack to Normal Attack to Mind Charge to Electric Spell, repeat. Hit her weakness when she Mind Charges and guard after. On Lunatic however, just pray and stay alive until Marisa nukes her.

Symbolism: Shadow Marisa is the embodiment of Marisa's guilt over her non-direct relation of her mother's accidental death. The jail outfit and chains symbolizes how she is trapped in these feelings, and the Hakkero platform represents her mother's position as a major support. The gray star mask is a representation of her hiding it from her friends.

* * *

><p><strong>Author: Wow... I think I throw way too much actions at the readers.<strong>

**RionAgrias: Then you should use the Guard command more.**

**Author: Very funny... Got anything to commentate on this chapter itself?**

**RionAgrias: I'm not used to doing bonding between girls. The chapter, however... I was glad a certain other person didn't write it.**

**Author: Is that "certain person" someone I know?**

**RionAgrias: But, of course!**

**Author: Don't worry, "he" isn't insane nor will he ever write junk. You have my words.**

**RionAgrias: That's a relief. *wipes the sweat off his brow***

**Author: Anyway, see ya all next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AuthorNCS: So Rion, what do you think of the Persona 3 film they are making?**

**Rion: I am not sure. Do you really think that they can condense the whole story into a few hours? I could see it with having almost no substance at all.**

**AuthorNCS: Well, they compressed the entire P4 animation down into a film of its own. They should probably have a way.**

**Rion: Well, my question is, "Will it be good?"**

**AuthorNCS: No clue, but I do know that I'm not watching it if it is a live-action. How much I don't like those.**

**Rion: That would be... weird.**

**AuthorNCS: No interest in CG Personae?**

**Rion: CG would be necessary if you want live-action Persona. Unless you want a guy dressed up as Orpheus.**

**AuthorNCS: *Burst out laughing* Honestly speaking, Rion. I'm not a fan of Minato at all. To me, he is the least active of the protagonist and I dislike how fans are over rating him. **

**Rion: Me either... I'm a fan of Aigis/Aegis.**

**AuthorNCS: Some jerk on the internet said FES: The Answer was a waste of time.**

**Rion: People are entitled to their own opinions, I guess.**

**AuthorNCS: Oh well, if the readers had anything to say about what we just talked about. They will say something in the reviews.**

東方人格夢  
><span>Alternate Tale of Eastern Fantasy: Persona<span>

Chapter 4: The Shadow of an Abandoned Doll

It is now late at night as the teens had retreated back to reality where they begin treating their injuries and preparing for tomorrow.

"OW! Dammit Reimu! That hurts!" Marisa screams loudly as a cotton ball moistened with alcohol sterilizes a scrape on her knee. Her right leg struggles futilely in the iron grip of her shrine maiden best friend, who gives her an annoyed look.

"Give me a break. Where did all of that courage from before go?" Reimu asks, looking clearly irritated.

"That is a completely differe- OW!"

"There we go." The Miko patches up the wound with a bandage and sighs, staring at her first-aid kid. _The first-aid kit has been getting skinnier lately, hasn't it? It started shrinking ever since we started entering that other world. _

Still with a tear in the corner of her eye, Marisa groans. She quickly switches topics. "... I hope we did the right thing... You know, just leaving Hiroko in front of her home..."

Reimu sighs once more, looking down towards her feet. "I don't know myself, Marisa. For what I can tell however, this seems to be the best option."

"If you say so, ze..." Marisa agrees regardless. "Anyway, Reimu…"

"Yes?"

The blonde blushes lightly, a little taken back. "... Thank you. If it weren't for you, I would still be the crying little girl who is still moaning for her mother-"

"Really, Marisa? How cliché of you!" Reimu giggles, making her friend blush harder, if not annoyed. "... But you don't have to thank me; that is what friends do for each other, right?"

Marisa's expressions change into a smile. "Well... I was thinking... Since I now have a Persona too, I can lend you my strength too, ze!" Marisa raises her arm proudly. "Let's solve the mystery behind that world so no one in this town ever ends up like Hiroko again!"

_"Marisa..." _Reimu smiles; there was a look of compassion and reassurance on Reimu's face as she nods to the smiling blonde. In the depths of her heart, she felt a special bond forming between herself and Marisa!

* * *

><p><em>*Smash*<em>

_Thou Art I, and I am Thou..._

_Thou hast established a new bond..._

_Thou shalt be blessed when you create the Personae of the Magician Arcana..._

* * *

><p>Invisible to her companion's eyes, a new tarot card enters her mind. The card is labeled "The Magician".<p>

"Ze? Why are you suddenly staring into empty space, Reimu?" A question mark pops into the blonde's head toward her friend's strange reaction.

"Ahm... Nothing." Reimu wonders and seems deeply confused to what had just happened to her. _"What in the world...?"_

Marisa now yawns loudly as she raises her head and looks at the clock. "Maybe you are just tired." The blonde stretches her body, raising her arms high. "... It's getting really late anyway, we should get to sleep, ze..."

The shrine maiden yawns as well. Neither of them would want to over sleep and then be late to school tomorrow. The last thing they want to deal with is Paris Hilles' no-nonsensical wrath.

The blonde picks up her still-aching body and slowly walks toward the direction of her room. "Ok, then… Good night Reimu..."

"Good night, Marisa."

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the Velvet Room." A familiar elderly voice echoes in her sleepy mind. Reimu decides to ignore the source of the greeting before she begins to slowly drift back into her slumber...<p>

... But it didn't take long before she realizes that the voice is too real; Reimu's eyes snap open almost immediately.

"W-Where am I-" The shrine maiden realizes that she is in the Velvet Room once more; she was sitting on the same chair that she had sat on the previous time in the Velvet Room.

"Do not be alarmed." Igor calms the surprised teen with a reassuring voice. "You are still fast asleep in the real world. I have summoned you here within your dream."

"Oh... Sorry." Reimu coughs into her hand so she can adjust the conversation into the right atmosphere. _"Geez... How in the world can they be so casual about taking people when ever they want?" _

"Miss Hakurei… by involving yourself with others and forming bonds with them, you have successfully obtained the Magician Arcana." The mature blonde woman smiles at Reimu and places her right hand on her tome. A tarot card materializes in front of Reimu's face, "The Magician". The card floats slowly toward the large book before it descends into the cover.

A realization hits Reimu. "Is... Is this what you meant from before? Is this the definition of the wild card?"

"Indeed." Igor explains with acknowledgement. "Power comes from the heart. More bonds you create with others, the more your heart grows. The wild card is like the number zero; it is nothing when it is alone, but it has infinite potential when it is filled."

Reimu tries to take in the explanation, but the quote from the Magician Arcana earlier surfaces on her mind.

"Igor, I have a question." The Miko asks. "Marisa and I have been best friends since kindergarten, but why is our relationship only now considered a bond?"

"The meaning of bonds can be deceiving, Miss Hakurei." Igor replies. "A true bond can only be established if both souls open their hearts to one another. I believe from your experience with your friend's Shadow, she had hidden a lot and only now did you see the whole spectrum of what your friendship could be."

Reimu's feelings were slightly hurt. _"So does that mean my friendship with Marisa up until now was only in title?"_

"Fear not, Miss. Hakurei." Margaret joins in to comfort the shrine maiden. "It is never too late to make friends and establish bonds."

Reimu nods, feeling slightly better. "Thanks..." The scenery in front of her is starting to go misty, she felt sleepy...

"Until next time, Miss Hakurei. We shall discuss our further services during your next visit." The long noised gentlemen and his blond assistant wave her good night, before Reimu falls back into her tire slumber...

* * *

><p>Police Chief Katsuo grumbles to himself. He is both delighted yet pissed off at his only useful lead to the disappearances case.<p>

"Chief... It is no use staring at her like that... She is as blank as a piece of paper." his subordinate points out the obvious. The younger detective knows he is effectively digging his own grave for an unfair overtime of being a coffee slave later tonight. Coffee that would never touch his lips, that is...

The middle-aged man grinds his teeth in anger. Almost an hour ago, he had almost smiled when he had first heard that one of the disappeared people's families reported that they found their daughter in front of their doorstep. But after meeting with the girl, the case only became far more complicated then he could ever imagine. The victim in front of him is completely emotionless; her eyes only stare forward as if the Police Chief is not even there.

_"Dammit..."_ He curses in his mind. What the hell happened to her? This is the kind of trauma he has only seen before on an extremely abused victim's face!

From the doctor's report on her full body examination, the poor high school girl only suffered from sight malnutrition, exhaustion, and a few lesser injuries like light scratches and cuts. There were no signs of her being raped either. It heavily disproves his theory of kidnapping/abuse...

"If only we had a clue. It has to be something related to how she ended up like this, but there is nothing to go on." The older officer mumbles.

"I seriously don't think we're going to find out anything else from her…" The younger officer cuts in and suggested. "You should probably take a break."

"I'll decide when to take break!" Katsuo snaps and his protégé runs out of the room from fear of possible ridicule.

The chief could have been by himself now, if not for the lifeless girl in the corner. He mutters. _"What could possibly make this girl into a vegetable and how did she end up like this?"_ He shakes his head. "I don't need more coffee; I need a drink."

* * *

><p>"Wow...! The newspapers are fast, ze!" Marisa yells surprisingly at her copy of today's newspaper. Her eyes stare hard onto the headline as she reads. "Let's see... "Missing Girl found Last Night Outside of her own home" It sure got the police's attentions', ze."<p>

Reimu agrees with her best friend. "I'm just glad that Hiroko is safe, but..."

Marisa begins to fold up her newspaper while trying to comfort her best friend. "... It's nobody's fault, don't blame yourself too much-"

Reimu pats her blonde friend's shoulder while chuckling, signaling Marisa to stop. "... Please stop, Marisa. Don't pretend to fill in for Alice; your impression of her is horrible."

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean, ze? !" The long haired blonde retaliates, sounding somewhat offended. "Ahm... Speaking of Alice... What is taking her so long?" She asks as she puts her body back onto her bicycle's seat, ready to ride off when the said blonde arrived.

"I'm sure she will be here soon..." Reimu states while trying to reassure her friend.

One minute pass...

Three minutes pass...

Five minute pass...

"What is taking Alice so long…? We are gonna be late, ze." Marisa points out the obvious to break the awkward silence as the pair wait… both deeply annoyed.

"That's weird... Is Alice _sick_ today...?" Reimu says in somewhat disbelief; Alice, as they knew her (even if this sounds physically impossible), had almost never- no, scratch that; she had NEVER gotten an absent record in all those years they had known her. Her being sick today sounded highly improbable to both Reimu and Marisa.

"Don't joke, Reimu. The day Alice misses school will be the day the world ends." Marisa replies seriously. "How about we give her house a call, ze?"

"Good idea, Marisa." The shrine maiden agrees. She leaves her blonde friend's side and heads towards a public telephone.

_"I think we should have saved up for a cell phone, ze..."_ The blonde sweatdrops and looks on as the shrine maiden painfully parts with her 100 yen. She quickly dials Alice's home phone number.

"_That coin was meant for Marisa's laundry..." _Reimu thinks to herself as she dials. She always needed to do Marisa's clothes separate because they always ended up so dirty.

Ring... Ring... Ring... Ring... Ring... Ring... Ring... Ring... Ring... Ring... Ring... Ring...

The Miko surrenders and clicks down the telephone; she turns to Marisa and shakes her head as a sign of failure.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Reimu. But come on, we will go check on her after school. We need to get to school ASAP, ze!"

"Yeah... We wouldn't want to deal with Mr. Paris in the morning." The shrine maiden agrees and leaves with her friends. But both teens rush to their school with a troubling feeling inside their mind.

* * *

><p>Alice shivers as she brings her legs into her arms, lowering herself into a huge space between the roots of a twisted tree. She had woken up about a half an hour ago in the place she wished she would never need to step back into. Dark haze covers her slipper-wearing feet followed by hundreds of hungry moans that echo throughout the grey sky. It felt like a miracle that she had yet to encounter any Shadows.<p>

_"Reimu... Marisa... Please come here quickly... I don't want to..." _Right now, the poor blonde girl is on the verge of tears. But she holds it back and tries to stay strong. She has great faith in her friends-

**_"Hmhmhm... You are so pathetic..."_** A twisted version of her voice says and breaks her train of thought, drawing her attention to the source of the voice.

Alice looks up and gasps in fear.

Staring down right at her with a pair of inhumanly yellow eyes... is a twelve year old version of Alice. She is dressed in a light pink dress with a deep blue apron, along with the matching headband and with a ribbon on the side. She takes a step closer to Alice with her white socks and leather shoes.

"W-Who are you...?" Alice asks in deeper fear.

**_"Who do you think? I am you."_** The doppelganger smiles maliciously. **_"Get up you doll! It's time for you to go back to your house!"_**

"Doll...?" Alice mutters in confusion.

**_"Why yes... You are nothing more but a doll that wished for a true home, a true master to be precise." _**The doppelganger laughs before she lowers herself to Alice's level and places her hands around Alice's cheeks. **_"And I am going to make sure you get it." _**

"...What are you talking about? Let me go!" Alice tries to remove the hands around her face, but she fails to do so.

**_"Hmhmhm... You are so cute... me."_** The doppelganger giggles in a maliciously twisted voice. _**"Don't worry... I am not a selfish master... I will definitely make you more comfortable in my collection... with more friends..."**_

_"Reimu... Marisa..."_

_**"Don't worry... They will come. Muhahahahaha!"**_

* * *

><p>With the horrible history teacher and their normal lessons out of their hair, Reimu and Marisa immediately rush to Alice's place. The long-haired blonde pedals speedily with the shrine maiden sitting closely behind her, and taking multiple shortcuts throughout the town. They manage to make it to Alice's place in record time.<p>

Reimu leapt off the bike and quickly ran up to the Margatroid resident. She pressed her finger on the doorbell and rang it.

There was no answer, nothing at all...

"Hey! Mrs. Margatroid! Alice! It's me, Reimu!" The Miko shouts as loud as possible, while knocking on the door multiple times. But she is forced to give up after three more minutes of pointless knuckle-torturing.

"This feels bad Reimu... If Alice or her mom is at home, they would've heard of us by now." Marisa comments in both distress and worry.

"Argh..." Reimu groans as her brain begins to spins for an idea; they can't climb or break into the house... Is there any other way to enter without being caught...? Wait! She got it! "Hey, Marisa! Get us back to the shrine!"

"Ze?" The long hair blonde raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Why?"

"We could ask Yukari to open a gap into the house! Come on!" The shrine maiden runs back to her friend before leaping back behind the bicycle's seat. "Go! We don't have the time to waste!"

Marisa nods in sudden realization. She puts her feet on the pedals and immediately starts riding back towards the shrine, hoping for the best, and starting to fear the worst.

* * *

><p>"Yukari!" Reimu yells as the duo exit the eye filled gap. The pair did not bother to change into different clothes before they entered the different world. She and Marisa ran up to the Yukkuri still wearing their school uniforms and were almost at the edge of panicking. "We need your help! Please open your gap to Alice's room-"<p>

Much to the teens' surprise however, the Yukkuri did not complain about them disrupting her rest. Instead, the two of them found her turning to them with a much more serious look on 'her' face.

"What is up with you, ze?" Marisa asks, trying to hide her distress.

"There is no need for you two to check the human side. You friend is somewhere in this world and I can sense her border quit clearly." Yukari closes her eyes and begin concentrating.

"T-That is great!" Reimu says in joy. "Can you get us to her?"

"Yeah! Come on you dango! If we don't get to Alice soon her life could be in danger, ze!" Marisa reasons urgently.

"... Of realization and confusion, of bravery and fear, of joy and sadness, and of here to her..." Yukari's eyes snaps open as her expression twists into displeasure, made it somewhat of a sign to both teens. "... I can't open a boundary to her."

"Wha- Why?" Marisa exclaims.

"There are masses of Shadows surrounding her location." The Yukkuri explains, earning gasps for both teens. "The borders there are being constantly shifted by their activity. With my weakened power I can't properly open one directly to her."

"No way! Dammit!" Marisa curses. "We can't just leave Alice there to face the dangers alone, ze! Isn't there some other way?"

Yukari stares at the angered blonde. "... I could send you guys in front of the Shadow mass... but..." The Yukkuri hesitates. "... Both of you will have to deal with the Shadows if you wishes to save your friend."

Reimu and Marisa turns to each other. They quickly nod in agreement. "What are you waiting for then?"

"You two are risking everything to save your friend, huh?" Yukari smiles and nods. _"Humans, can sure be stupid at these kinds of times... But that is where their charm lies..."_ A gap opens in fronts of the teens, which they immediately rush in.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for the darkness and eyes of the gap disappears from their sight. Reimu and Marisa's new location come into view. In front of them is a forest of twisted and withered trees that stood towering over their figures. Sticking out of the dark haze is a forest path covered by a sea of fallen leaves. Adding to much of the creepiness of this place, each of the dead trees had broken doll pieces staked all over the surface of the trunks.<p>

"T-This isn't a part of the town..." Reimu questions as she takes a step back; there is a small amount of fear forming on the Miko's face.

"Of course it is not. This area of this world is being influenced by your friend's Shadow. It changed to fit her mindset." Yukari corrects the shrine maiden as she leapt forward and looks around the area. "What do you know? Your friend seems to have a rather unimaginable secret just like tomboy over here."

Marisa groans and stomp her left foot about. "Alice you idiot, ze!"

Reimu walks over to her best friend, trying to calm her down. "It's not Alice's or anyone's fault, Marisa. You yourself didn't let out your secret as well."

Marisa sighs and recalls her Shadow's words. "I guess not, sorry… Reimu."

"No worries; that is what friends do for each others right?" Reimu smiles; she feels the Magician Arcana in her mind strengthening. "But come on, we don't have time to waste."

The blonde nods. "Right, ze."

Both teens stares into the depth of the forest before them, along with the boundary Youkai, begins the exploration.

* * *

><p><em><strong>"The shrine maiden and rude girl came... just as expected, right? Me?"<strong>_ Alice's doppelganger busts into malicious, if not, insane laughter.

"Why... Why are you doing this...?" Alice mutters in terror; "How dare... T-This... monster that bares my face put my friends in further danger!"

_**"... I did all of this for you... me."**_ The doppelganger grins. _**"Just wait a little longer... This lively tea party will begin very soon. Muhahahahaha!"**_

_"Reimu... Marisa... Please be safe..." _The frightened teen prays helplessly.

* * *

><p>This forest's path is more difficult to pinpoint than the group had imagined. Reimu would swear that they would haven been very lost if Yukari was not using her ability to guide them. (Something about manipulating the border between the correct path and wrong path, she honestly does not know how that would work.)<p>

"Aurgh... This feels so much worse then last time, ze..." Marisa groans, her feet feeling like they are being tortured by hot pincers. Understandable, considering the ground is twisted even more than the town's. It is to the point where it is almost like walking on pointy gravel.

Yukari suddenly pauses; it stops the entire group in their tracks.

"Is there something wrong, Yukari?" Reimu asks in confusion.

"We got company." The Yukkuri deadpans, earning gasps from the teens. Before the duo can react, hundreds of hungry moans call out around them. Pools of black particles begin forming from every corner of the twisted forest. From the withered trees and twisted ground, Shadows of various creepy shapes emerges; all have a strange mark on some parts of their body that bare similarity to broken up toys: stuffed animals, playing cards soldiers, dice, and puppets; without warning, the hostiles surround the group.

"Whoa!" Marisa jumps back, a little scared. "There are so many of them, ze!"

"I told you this wasn't going to be easy." Yukari pointed out before a gap appears under her and swallowed the dango-shaped creature.

"Wait, Yukari!" The shrine maiden mutters shocked.

_"Do not worry, I'm still here."_ The Youkai's voices suddenly echoes in both teen's ears. _"I set a small boundary inside your ears. I will now keep in touch with both of you during your battles as well as giving both of you support."_

"Ze?" Marisa raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Why didn't you do this earlier when my Shadow came up? You lazy Yukkuri!"

_"Let's just say I was bored from just watching the Miko in action last time. I figured some kind of involvement on my part will make it more entertaining."_ Yukari simply answers. _"Oh, ice attack coming from two o'clock."_

The longer haired blonde's eyes widen as her head turns to the direction Yukari warns her about. Marisa immediately leaps away just before three icicles nearly strike her and instead stab into the ground by her feet. "Wha-?"

They had almost forgotten the Shadows surrounding them, which are now advancing toward them in both anger and hunger.

"Come on, Marisa. Yukari can wait; right now Alice is our priority." Reimu steps forward by her best friend with her hand in the air; her expression changes to a serious look. "Are you ready?"

Marisa looks at her best friend's glare, she smiles to match her look. "What do you think, ze?"

A blue light begins to glow around the teens, alarming all the Shadows and driving them wild. Each of them draws out their Persona card between their index and middle finger, along with a devilish grin.

"PERSONA, HAKUREI-NO-MIKO!" Reimu declares loudly, crushing the card with a twist of her fingers. The Shrine Maiden's Persona emerges from the blue flash of the card shards.

"Da ze, PERSONA! KIRISAMA-NO-MAHOUTSUKAI!" Marisa throws her card upward after her call. As the card descends, she grabs her hakkuro necklace and smashes the card with its wooden surface; bringing forth, for Marisa's first time, the witch like Magician Persona.

_"Da ze? Are we fighting already?"_ Marisa's Persona comments happily. In a short time, it seems to have come a long way since its time as a Shadow. She turns to greet Hakurei-no-Miko._ "Pleasure working with ya!"_

_"Thou welcome thee to this team."_ The shrine maiden Persona replies plainly with a nod.

"Wow... This is incredible..." The longer haired blond gasps. The connected feelings of herself to her Persona felt rather odd to Marisa, but she also finds it a somewhat pleasant experience. "Was this how you felt when you first called out your Persona, Reimu?"

"Ah..." Reimu paused. "Ahm... I never really thought about that before. I just call Hakurei-no-Miko out and fight." Well... It's more like she was too focused on the battles.

Marisa sweatdrops toward the shrine maiden's occasional dense response. "... Ze, Reimu! Let's go kick some Shadow asses! Zio!" With that declaration, Kirisama-no-Mahoutsukai calls forth a blast of electricity towards the nearest Shadow. The entity that had taken the form of two floating dice is instantly toasted and reduced back into dark particles.

Seeing the destruction, its fellow Shadows immediately responds with violent behaviour. One Shadow bears the form of a large torn up Teddie Bear change toward Kirisama-no-Mahoutsukai, preparing to bash the Persona with its heavy arm.

"Are you stupid?" The Magician Persona sends another bast of electricity to the seemingly foolish Shadow, but the huge Teddie bear shrugs off the spell like it is a minor irritation. "Eh?"

Thankfully, the Shadow's appendage did not even manage to get within four feet of the blond before Hakurei-no-Miko's Gohei whip lashes itself onto its left leg. The shine maiden Persona than proceeds to toss the heavy Shadow into the air and blow it to smithereens with rapid shots of Exorcism Amulet as it falls down.

"Gee... Marisa. You should be more careful." Reimu points out. "You should watch out for the type of Shadow you are fighting; they are still dangerous you know?"

_"Well... I think the Shadow was the smarter one, this time; that Shadow was resistant to electricity."_ Yukari commentates with a chuckle.

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT, ZE? ! YOU STUPID DANGO!" Marisa shouts back, blushing, before releasing her anger on another Shadow, and destroy it with a blast of electricity.

_"Did Marisa just became a Tsundere for a second there?"_ Reimu thinks as she holds back the desires to giggle.

Regardless, the twisted Forrest path soon flooded with Amulets, Star shaped explosives, wind blades, electric blots, and painful cries of Shadows. The Personae and their summoners clears away waves after waves of hostiles with styles, as they close in deeper into the dungeon.

"Illusion Laser!" Two small magic circle appears by both side of the witch Persona, soon unleashing a two beams of multicoloured lazers. The attack tears through the ground and rip a few more Shadows in pieces. They move over the destruction just to hit a seeming dead end.

_"We are really close to your friend, destroy that tree blocking the way_!" Yukari instructs.

"Treasured Yin-Yang Jade!" Reimu orders as one of her Persona's yin-yang orbs suddenly grew in size, becoming a massive heavy weight that puts that infamous deadly boulder from Indiana Jones to shame. It flies forward and clear over the obstacle tree like a steamroller.

What the scenery is now revealed the the Persona users is rather unexpected. What stand in the center of the creepy forest of a child's nightmare, is a unfitting, at the same time, beautifully built doll house. It larger, castle size to be exact. A large red door signaling its entrance.

And off course, it is guarded by a line of Shadows.

Well, sucks for those foul embodiment of dark human emotions. Today is not their day, at all.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR SIGHT!"

*Bloom*

Reimu and Marisa's Personae's spells blast right through the guarding Shadows and the door of the strange doll house. Allowing them full access into its interior; it is a plain room with grayish white walls about the size of a football field, the ceiling is so high that it is replaced by darkness. They immediately see their friend staying in a kneeling position by the center of the room.

"Reimu! Marisa!" Alice turns to her friends and replies faintly, but looks overjoyed that the two of them had made it.

*Clap, Clap*

**_"The guests are finally here! What a lovely tea party this will soon be!" _**The blue dress-wearing doppelganger bursts into laughter. The Shadow that bares the face of Alice slowly walks by her original with a grin.

"Ze? Reimu, is that?" Marisa asks under her breath.

The shrine maiden nods. "Just as we thought. It's Alice's Shadow..."

_"Both of you, be on guard. The power of that girl's Shadow is much more powerful than the tomboy's."_ Yukari warns, feeling unease according to her tone.

The Shadow smiles at Reimu and Marisa, before she greets them with a formal bow. **_"I must first apologize for all of the trouble you had to came through I order to get here. But these were simply a test, so both of you can earn the right to learn our secret."_**

"Secret?" Reimu's eyes narrow.

**_"Correct, the secret that she..."_** The doppelganger moves her left hand to Alice's direction. **_"... never bothered to share even to her two best friends."_**

The hair-banded blonde flinches at the Shadow's polite yet mocking words "W-What... are you talking about? I don't have anything to hide-"

**_"Hmhmhmhmhm... Oh, me. As always, you are terrible at joking."_** The Shadow chuckles at the nativity of her original. **_"Or was it that you are simply too scared to tell em the truth? Either way, it doesn't matter. I will take your place and release these hidden thoughts."_** She raises her right hands and snaps her fingers.

A cloth puppet that resembles Alice drops from the ceiling, right in fronts of Reimu and Marisa. The strings that connect to each of the puppet's limps begin to move up and down, forcing it to move.

**_"Marisa... Reimu..."_** The cloth doll speaks with Alice's voice.

"Ze?" The longer haired blonde was taken back by the sudden call of her name.

**_"How much I hate both of you…"_**

Both Reimu and Marisa gasp at the surprising insult that was thrown at them.

**_"Marisa is loud, she is dirty, and she is rudest person I had ever met. Almost every morning, she rides her bike past me at breakneck speed and treats it as if it was nothing more than a joke! She had already gotten me into countless amounts of trouble back in elementary! I hate her! I hate her!"_**

Marisa stumbles back at the revelation of Alice's voice. _"Am I really this annoying, ze! ?"_

**_"And then we have Reimu, who is a Shrine Maiden, but in reality, she is cheap as hell! She couldn't even buy the daily newspaper for god's sake! I had to pay for everything every time we ate lunch! Every single night that I spent at her shrine, my skin itches from the dusty old building! I hate her! I hate her!"_**

Reimu's eyes widen. _"My shrine isn't dusty!"_

**_"... They were such stupid people, and now they manage to even drag me into this other world BS! I can't believe these idiots are my friends!"_** The doll mocks while pointing its hand at Reimu and Marisa.

Alice grabs her head in pain. "No! I never thought of these things! Stop it!"

**_"But you did. How else would have I know them?"_** The Shadow smiles in satisfaction.

The cloth doll however, changed its position. Its arms were now covering its face as if it was embarrassed. **_"But, these are the people I look up to." _**

"Eh?" Reimu and Marisa pause at the unexpected declaration.

The doll continues. _**"Marisa might be a disrespecting tomboy, but at least she can stay true to herself and she can even manage to run away from home... Unlike me, who can't even stand up to her own parents. Reimu might be cheap with her money, but she is responsible and hardworking. She can single handedly keep her dusty old shrine in business. Plus, she now has the power to fight those monsters and they can save people. Neither of them will need me soon, they don't need a dumbass in distress."**_

"Alice..." Both the shrine maiden and the longer haired blonde softly mutter under their breath.

"Stop it! Please stop it!" Alice limps to her Shadow and begins to drag on her deep blue dress, begging for the madness to stop.

Reimu gulps and the nervousness is prevalent on her face while Marisa grinds her teeth; she knows this melodrama can not continue any longer. "I've had enough of this, ze! Let's go Reimu!" Immediately, she commands Kirisama-no-Mahoutsukai to fly forward, followed next by Hakurei-no-Miko. Both Personae, however, are unexpectedly greeted by a dozen of lance wielding, shield carrying blond haired dolls.

**_"Do not intervene!" _**The Shadow self threatens while the dolls charge at the Personae, attacking with their weapons to preventing them from aiding Alice.

"What do you hope to gain from this?" Alice cries desperately.

**_"Nothing. I simply want you to admit that you are nothing more but an abandoned doll."_** The Shadow declares.

"Abandoned doll... What does that even meant?" The panicking teen erupts in an outburst.

The doppelganger's eyes widen in amazement. **_"I am glad you asked."_** She snaps her fingers once more. What follows are the appearances of two more cloth puppets; they appear to be male and female respectively.

**_"Alice, I want you to stop your doll nonsense. You are already in high school, and I want you focus on your study instead of making more of those!"_** The voice of Alice's mother echoes from the female looking doll.

_**"Yes, Alice. You should listen to your mother. Making dolls will get you nowhere in life. We just want what's best for you."**_ The voice of Alice's father continues from the male looking doll.

**_"Best for me? BEST FOR ME?"_** The doppelganger's eyes widen in anger. Outraged, she waves her right hand and causes the dolls to burst into flames. The Shadow then steps on the ashes. "**_WHAT DO THESE BITCHES KNOW ABOUT ME? ! T-These bastards can't even give two rats' ass for their daughter!_**_" _

Tears begin to leak from corners of Alice's eyes. "Stop it... They-!" She wants to counter the mocking, but a realization stops her.

The doppelganger turns to Alice and kneels down to gaze pitifully at her original.**_ "They what…? Cat got your tongue?"_** Her hands slowly tighten around the confused girl's face. **_"Of course you have no words for those fools you call parents, those fools that you are not in anyway related by blood!" _**

"What?" Both Reimu and Marisa gasp in astonishment. Yet again to another revolution their best friend had hidden from them since the beginning.

"I-Is... that why your mom is always so cold to you, Alice?" Reimu shivers while she questions.

Alice didn't reply; she just remains frozen in that single spot.

**_"How pitiful. To think the reason why I was born…" _**The Shadow grins once more. **_"...it was because a abandoned doll couldn't bare to face her masters... A doll that longed for a true home, away from those bastards that cause her pain and bind her freedom... Am I correct?"_**

"W-Who are you?" mutters the frightened child.

**_"I am you..." _**Her inhuman yellow eyes narrow to gaze into her soul. _**"...and you are me."**_

"... No..."

"Alice stop! Don't say it, ze!" Marisa dashes forward in hopes of stopping the fatal words, but a doll rapidly arrive by her side and send her flying with a bash.

"Marisa!" Reimu shouts as Marisa slides to her feet.

"Ow... Never mind me! Alice-"

But they are too late. Confusion, self doubt, and pride in front of her friends has already caused Alice to deny this fragment of her true self.

"...No... You are not me... There is no way you are me..."

**_"Well said..."_** The darkness around the Shadow begins to burn. She stands up and hugs her paralyzed original; engulfing them both in the torrent. **_"... I will give you happiness... AFTER I DESTROY THOSE THAT CAUSED YOU PAIN!"_**

The darkness covering Alice and her Shadow twists them into a sphere. Before Reimu and Marisa can react it shot straight into the unseen darkness of the ceiling. Seconds later, a colossal figure drops from its shadowy depth. Suspended by what looks like five metal cable puppet stings. Towering over Marisa's own Shadow three to four times in size, the monstrosity takes the form of a floating white wooden puppet. It lacks any form of clothing, but the figure seems to be extremely well crafted in the finest of polished wood. Although the eye sockets on its face are broken and replaced by the Shadow's creepy yellow eyes. Just like it was with Marisa's Shadow, the face and hair style are modeled after its original, including the headband. The main focus of its appearance however, is a glass cage attached in front of its chest... with the real Alice hung up like a doll in a shop display.

**_"I am the Shadow, the true self..." _**The giant Shadow's puppet joints begin to twitch as the cables attached to it manipulate its actions. Thin metal wires connecting to all ten of its wooden fingers call forth armed dolls that create a protective combat formation around it. **_"Do not be afraid, I will be sure to give you all a swift death... and a premier spot in my collection!"_**

One of the doll's eyes begins to glow crimson, and the next thing both teens know is that they are being consumed by a fiery blaze of explosions followed by the Shadow's malicious laughter.

This surprise attack is obviously not enough to keep the duo down. Garu and Zio spells pierce through the flames as Kirisama-no-Mahoutsukai, followed by Hakurei-no-Miko, soaring forward with their summoners in their arms.

"ALICE!" Marisa roars in rage while holding out her Hakkuro. The artifact slowly reacts to her active emotions; it begins to grow in rainbow colours upon her order. Careful not to aim at the glass cage that encases the real Alice, the longer haired blonde prepares to unleash the deadly attack.

**_"What are you trying to-"_** The Shadow mocks but pauses when she feels the incoming power.

"MASTER SPARK!" Marisa declares, allowing her Hakkuro to unleash hell on its target. The pillar of rainbow energy wasn't as powerful as before, but serious damages are ensured.

The monstrosity's yellow eyes narrow toward the seven-coloured beam. Her wooden fingers begin to dance, signalling her armed dolls to formation in front of her with their shields raise.

"Wha-" Marisa gasps in shock at the Master Spark being blocked. When the Hakkuro calms down, all the massive rainbow colour beam did to the barrier of dolls was made their shields smoke. One of the dolls immediately retaliates with an explosion, stunning both the Persona and her summoner.

"No way... Even Marisa's..." Reimu mutters in shock.

_"Listen both of you! You must disable all of its dolls at the same time if you want any hope of hurting it!"_ Yukari points on.

"That is easier said than done, you stupid dango!" Marisa complains while she and Kirisama-no-Mahoutsukai speed through the air followed by trials of explosions and lance wielding dolls. Even with her Persona's incredible agility, it is only a matter of time until they are caught by the flames or corner by dolls.

_"...of strengths and weaknesses..."_ Yukari whispers the boundary's name. Information on the enemies enters her mind soon after. _"The dolls are weak to ice-based attacks. The Shadow itself is weak to electricity." _

"We got electricity, but ice...?" Reimu questions, her head turns to her Persona who is carrying her.

_"Unfortunately, ice is not thy affinity."_ Hakurei-no-Miko answers plainly while her yin-yang orbs unleash Persuasion Needles to support Kirisama-no-Mahoutsukai's air battle. It does not seem to be very effective as the dolls are deflecting the projectiles with their shield.

**_"This is futile, why don't you all just surrender and be good dolls? I will make sure to fit you all in the pretty dresses I have."_** The Shadow mocks with pleasure; she is clearly enjoying this.

"Watch us, Stardust Reverie!" Pissed off, Marisa orders an attack in midair to shut the giant puppet up. Seven small magic circles, each circle a different color of the rainbow, appearing around Kirisama-no-Mahoutsukai in a heptagon formation. They soon start rotating at high speed, all the while unleashing waves and waves of multicoloured star-shaped projectiles the size of small apples.

Effectively, the dolls are caught off guard by the sudden overwhelming amount of projectiles. Many are hit and stunned, losing a limp or two or even their weapons.

**_"Damn you!"_** The monstrosity cursed; its fingers move busily to reorganize her dolls in order.

"Reimu! This is your chance, ze!" Marisa shouts. "Go save Alice!"

The shrine maiden nods. "Hakurei-no-Miko!"

The Persona rushes in through the chaos, dispatching any dolls that were still active with her gohei and yin-yang orbs; she manages to deliver Reimu on top of Alice's cage.

_**"Get off you bug!"**_ The massive puppet roars, shaking its body violently while its arms slowly attempts to reach for the bug named Reimu crawling around the cage of its captive.

Reimu struggles to hold on but she gasps in sudden realization. _"That's right! Giant or not, she is still a puppet! Why didn't we think about this sooner?"_

"Keep her busy!" The shrine maiden commands her Persona, who nods in acknowledgement and flies off to distract the massive Shadow. Two of her yin-yang orbs remain at her summoner's side as guardians while the Persona tries to damage the cables supporting the massive Shadow.

"Alice, can you hear me?" Reimu bangs on the cage hard, shouting in hope of a response.

The hanging child's eyes slowly opens; her head weakly tilts upward to face her one of her best friend's. "Reimu...?"

"Alice!" The Miko responds in joy, glad that they are not too late. "Just wait, I will get-"

"Leave me."

"Eh- W-What...?" Reimu gasps in confusion.

"...leave while you and Marisa still can." Alice mutters in vain of any hope. "... Neither of you deserve a person like me as a friend..."

"NO! We are not leaving you!" The shrine maiden smashes her fist on the glass cage, the yin-yang orbs starts repeatedly bash onto the cage as well.

Tears flow from Alice's eyes. "... From the very beginning, I am just an extra nobody. Someone who needs rescuing and protection..."

* * *

><p><em>"Give me back my Shanghai!"<em>

_Flashback seven-years-ago back to elementary school, a much younger Alice suffers the wrath of several school ground bullies._

_"What kind of name is "Shanghai"? You weird Blue Eye!" The head of the bullies harasses, clearly the material for growing into a jerk later in life. "You don't deserve this good-looking doll, weirdo! I'm taking it!" Turning into a robber as well maybe..._

_"No! She is precious to me!" The helpless child cries desperately. She tries to get her doll back by reaching for it, only to be knocked down to the sandpit._

_"Ha!" The bullies laugh among themselves. However, a smooth rock flies out from nowhere and strikes the hand holding the doll. "Ow!" The bully immediately drops the doll and grabs his hand in pain._

_"Oi, oi! Back off, you bunch of jerks, ze!" The younger Marisa partnered with the younger Reimu enters the scenery with angry looks on their faces._

_"Hey! It's that blonde runaway and that shine maiden to be!" One of the bullies points out._

_"Ah? Just in time too! It is time for us to have our revenge for you two kicking us out of the playground!" The kids were obviously older than the elementary-aged Alice, Marisa, and Reimu, brain-wise anyway._

_The gang of six bullies rushes towards Reimu and Marisa, engaging them in a cat fight. Alice stays where she is and watches in shock as the new arrivals beat the bullies up. When the dust cloud generated by the fight vanishes; all of the bullies run away crying in pain, spouting pointless words of revenge. However, the duo did not escape the scrape unscathed. Both Reimu and Marisa have bruises on their limbs. They are not groaning in pain like the bullies, but instead they smile in satisfaction at their victory._

_"Shanghai!" Alice crawls to her doll's side and checks on it. She is relieved when the only damage the craft had received is a tiny scratch on the arm; it is easily fixable._

_Marisa and Reimu walks to her side. "Are you all right?"_

_Alice nods timidly. "I-I am, thank you both for helping me..."_

_Marisa looks at Alice curiously. "Hey...? Aren't you the new transfer student __from the classroom over, ze?"_

_"Ah... Yes." Alice flinches. She seems scared of the possible preconceived judgment of her.._

_"Wow, the rumors were true than!" The longer haired blonde smiles at Alice. "This school now has two blondes, ze. I feel much better."_

_Reimu narrows her eyes at her best friend. "What? Was that reason why you arehappy?" She sighs and offers out her hand for the new transfer. "My name is Hakurei Reimu, the tomboy over here is Marisa. What is yours?"_

_"A-Alice, Alice Margatroid." The shy girl mutters. "My family just moved into Koryu sometime ago."_

_"I see." Reimu nods in understanding. "Why did those idiots bully you?"_

_"Well... I guess they are jealous of my Shanghai... Who knows?" answers Alice._

_Marisa looks at the doll in Alice's arms. "Hey? Where did you get this kind of doll, ze? I never saw it in any store before."_

_"Shanghai? I made her." Alice replies, earning gazes from the duo. "What?"_

_"That is incredible! It put those displayed on the toy store to shame!" The surprised duo gasps._

_Before the three knew it, they were best friends and had been crowned the Number One Group on any bullies' blacklist._

_Alice couldn't have been happier._

* * *

><p>Reimu grabs her right hand in pain; the cage didn't even so much as shake even form all the beatings. "Yukari, please help me! Open a gap, break the cage... ANYTHING!"<p>

_"The boundary into the cage is twisted; I can't open one big enough to get her out."_

_"Then put me through to Alice, ze!"_ Marsia's voice interrupted Reimu's train of thought.

"Marisa?"

_"Let me talk to Alice!"_ The tomboy says desperately.

A gap no bigger then three to four centimeters wide opens inside the cage, projecting Marisa's voice out towards the hopeless girl.

_"Alice..."_

"Marisa... Just escape with Reimu, leave me be..." Alice says in a disparaging voice, trying to at least preserve her friend's safety.

_"YOU DUMBASS!"_ Marisa roars, scaring both of her best friends. _"We didn't risk both of our lives coming in here just to hear you go emo! The Alice we knew would never have said such things!"_

Alice looks up toward the gap, violent tears of anger flows out of her eyes. "You are right! The Alice you knew was merely an image... I am... I am just an abandoned doll. I am nothing to begin with-!"

_"TO HELL WITH THAT CRAP!"_ Marisa swears with a roar. _"I don't know or care what stupid emo position in life you think you are! All I know is that you are my friend, our friend, the friend of Marisa Kirisama and Reimu Hakurei! You are Alice Margatroid! And what you are in real life does not matter to us! ZE! You aren't useless, Alice!"_

"Yes! Don't give up, Alice! If there were any hardships, allow us to face it with you! As friends!" Reimu joins in the convincing.

Alice was taken back by the strong yet somewhat nonsensical words. "Marisa... Reimu... Even after both of you heard what I truly think of you guys, both of you still...?"

_"Yeah! Who do you think we are? We wouldn't just abandon you just because you had issues with us!"_ Marisa yells, but is interrupted when Reimu suddenly screams.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" The Shrine Maiden grabs her arms in pain; the Shadow had just caught Hakurei-no-Miko in the mercy of its crushing hand. Pain rushes through out her body as the Persona is being squeezed.

Marisa isn't faring too well either. In the arm of her Persona, she start to gasps in exhaustion. Waves of projectiles from Stardust Reverie begin to calm down due to lack of energy. The Persona ends up allowing a damaged doll to slip through.

**_"ARTFUL SACRIFICE!"_**

_"Whoa!"_ Kirisama-no-Mahoutsukai saw it coming, she retreats away from the beaten up doll less than a second before it self-destructs. Never the less, the Persona and its summoner are sent crashing onto the ground from the resulting explosion.

"MARISA!" Alice burst into a sob. "NO!"

"Ow..." Miraculously, the tomboy survived under the cushioning of her Persona. Lance wielding dolls immediately surrounds the pair right after their landing.

"A-Alice..." The shrine maiden mutters in pain.

**_"Ahahaha... I believe this is checkmate."_** The Shadow declares its victory. **_"It was a fun party... but now..."_**

To the trapped teen, everything in front of Alice's sight seems to be moving in slow motion. Her friends' lives are on the edge of crossing the border between life and death; Reimu's about to suffocate by having her Persona crushed and Marisa is about to have a lance run through her. All she can do right now is stay there; she is powerless to stop her own Shadow...

_"You aren't useless, Alice!"_ Marisa's previous words reverberate inside her head. Her eyes widen in realization.

_**"... GOODBYE-"**_

"STOP!"

The Shadow's eyes widen and begin to thrash about, its body shifts between materialistic and illusionary. The dolls under its control are put to a complete stop. **_"What the-"_**

Alice's eyes close as thoughts clashes in her head. She reopens them afterwards with determination. "Didn't you hear me? I said stop!" The next thing she does is pull on the weakened puppet strings binding her, snapping them with ease and releasing herself.

**_"I-Impossible! You are acknowledging my existence?"_** The Shadow roars in pain.

"...I am not going to deny my negative feelings..." Alice mutters with seriousness, her fingers tightly wrap around the glass cage's bars. "... But I will not see myself as a burden to my friends any further!"

**_"Stop...! All I am doing is forging your happiness, a home free from all that cause you pain-"_**

The determined child shakes her head. "You are wrong, what I must do is not find a route out of my current home... but a way to transform it into my wonderland!" She forces all the strength she had into her arms in to breaking the glass bars.

**_"NOOOO-"_**

*Shatter*

All the glass dissolves away like sand as Alice gains her freedom from her puppeteer... as well as set up a 40 foot fall toward the ground.

"Ze! BLAZING STAR!" At just the right timing; from almost out of no where, Kirisama-no-Mahoutsukai zooms towards the falling teen with the Hakkuro attached on the tail of her broom. Riding on her broom standing, she literally surfs on a Master Spark like a mighty comet, holding her summoner by the waist and giving her full access of catching her fallen friend.

"ALICE!" Marisa yells vehemently, but with no abject anger in her voice.

The falling teen's swollen, teary eyes stare at her soaring friend. "MARISA!" She cries in great joy as she lands right into Marisa's arms, setting the tomboy slightly back due to her weight as the teary blonde throw them into a tight hug.

The moving scene lasted for a few second before Marisa looks toward Alice. "Hey, Alice…?" She asks calmly.

"Oh, yeah?" Alice responds, expecting some kind of greetings.

"Did you gain some weight?" Marisa asks plainly. "I'm only asking because…" She was cut off with the head-banded blonde's lower edge of a closed fist contacting on her forehead.

"Marisa!" Alice bursts out, embarrassed and irritated that Marisa ruined the scenery's mood.

**_"Give her back-!"_** With its reason blinded by rage, the Shadow struggles trying to get her dolls into formation again. Messes of dark particles leak from the damaged body of her dolls, slowly regenerating all of their damages.

However, she temporary forgets about the shrine maiden Persona trapped in her right hand's crushing press.

Reimu can feel some of her tension being lessen; she immediately realizes her chance to turn the tables! "EVIL-SEALING CIRCLE!"

**_"Die-" _**Shadow Alice did not event notice the sudden appearance of holly charms that begin to surround its wooden waist. By the time the monstrosity take notice, the charms explode, severely damaging her wooden hand as well as freeing Hakurei-no-Miko. With her body relieved, Reimu then leaps off the struggling Shadow, letting her Persona carry her off to her friends' sides.

"Great job catching Alice, Marisa!" The shrine maiden compliments the longer haired blonde as both Personae fly.

"Ze! Of course- " Marisa is about to look proud of herself when a burst of flame knocks both Personae out of the air and back to the ground. "Ow! What the hell-"

**_"I will kill you all... I will kill you all...I will kill you all...! ! !" _**The monstrosity screams with insane aggression, her now regenerated doll army resume their constant fire spells. It is setting the airspace up ablaze.

_"Oh no, it is going out of control!"_ Yukari contacts everyone._ "Take it out as soon as possible!"_

Marisa grinds her teeth, irritated. "Come on Reimu! Let's go all out, ze!"

Reimu pauses at Marisa's declaration and the feeling of overwhelming trust from her friend; the Magician Arcana that resides in her soul begins to response intensively!

_"Your ability is that of the wild card..."_ Margaret's voice echoes in her mind.

"Wild card..." The Shrine maiden lightly mutters under her breathe. "HAKUREI-NO-MIKO!"

The shrine maiden Persona nods. "_Thou's true power came from the bond of others, please, invoke forth the new facade born from thus bond!_" She flies straight toward the blazing airspace, surprising both blondes.

"Reimu? What are you trying to do-" Alice asks desperately, but she is silenced when blue light embodies the Miko.

**_"How foolish!" _**The doll army charges toward the Persona, preparing to run her through with their lance or set her on fire.

"Persona change..." Reimu throws out her right palm upward, her ring and little finger curling down and her index and middle finger pointed up close together, her thumb sticking close to her palm to move into a hand sign she often uses in rituals. "MAGICIAN!"

Intense blue light illuminates from the Persona, her form dissolves and returns back into a single tarot card. But instead of belonging to the Fool Arcana, it belongs to the Magician Arcana. Cracks soon emerge on the surface of the card.

*Shatter*

The two girls beside Reimu are shocked when a complete new form arises from the resulting overwhelming light; It is a purple eyed woman in her mid-twenties with long silky purple hair that runs down to her waist. She wears a light pink night-cap that has a golden metal badge of a crescent moon attach to it. She is dressed in pajama-like clothing; a purple-white stripped long night grown covered by a light pink robe. She ties both sides of her long hair with ribbons; a red ribbon on the left and a blue ribbon on the right. Her feet are covered by purple slipper boots and in her right arm she carries a large brown book. She also has familiars similar to Hakurei-no-Miko, but instead of four yin-yang orbs surrounding her, she has five different colour books; Red, blue, gold, green, and dim yellow.

_"It seems I have been called upon... very well."_ The new summoned being mutters with a tired look, as if she had just awaken from her nap. _"I am Patchouli Knowledge, the ally magician of the devil, the possessor of the Philosopher's Stone. I shall lend you my age old wisdom of the five elements..."_

"Reimu can use different Personae? !" Marisa cries out, very confused.

Reimu remains silent; she does not know how to explain that fact to her friends nor is now the time to do so.

The doll army charges head on, unimpressed by the new Magician persona; they point out their lance. Fire spells soon follow and attempts to swallow the new arrival.

"Cool them down! Patchouli!" Reimu orders.

The Magician Persona acknowledge while she opens her large book. Holding the book on her right while her left hand points to the incoming attack, the Persona focuses. _"Water sign..."_ One of her books, the blue one, soars forward at the flame. It too opens its pages, unleashing a sudden torrent of icy water that extinguishes the flames. _"Princess Undine!"_

**_"WHA-"_** Shadow Alice roars with rage. Her dolls become completely helpless in the water wave, which soon solidifies and encases them in ice. It not only freezes the dolls, but the surge of ice also travel along the puppet strings and freeze all the way to her wooden finger tips.

"Marisa! This is your chance!" Reimu calls to her friend.

"Da ze! Zio!" The long hair blonde grins as her Persona sends a blast of electricity aimed straight at the now defenceless monstrosity. The attack makes contact to the Shadow and shocks the living daylights out of it.

_"Autumn Blade!"_ The gold-colored book flips open its pages, summoning forth a massive circular saw blade. It flies forward and severs all the metal cables that suspend the Shadow, causing her to fall on to the twisted ground with a loud boom and completely helpless.

"Reimu! Alice! This is our chance! Let's end this, ze!" Carry by Marisa's Persona, Alice and Marisa flies right over the massive puppet Shadow with Hakkuro in the longer blonde's hand. It begins charging with rainbow energy generated by its owner's determination.

Reimu nods. "PATCHOULI!"

Alice is determined too. "Do it! Marisa, Reimu!" Her trust in her friends also ends up fueling the Hakkuro, making it flashes brighter.

"Ze! MASTER SPARK!" Marisa holds out her fully charged Hakkuro and unleashes the pillar of light; it is the same power as the one she defeated her Shadow with.

_"Sun Sign..."_ All the books of the purple hair magician opens, a massive amount of magic condenses above her left hand and forms a sphere, it radiate heats so intense that everyone can feel it on the huge battlefield. _"Royal Flare!"_ The Persona sends, literately, a mini-sun to its target. The Master Spark slams into the intense ball of heat and hammers it down on the puppet monstrosity.

The Shadow does not even get a chance to cry vengeful words before it is consumed in the energy and heat. It didn't take long before the resulting explosion burn her right into a crater the size of an asteroid.

* * *

><p>"A-Are you all right?" Alice asks her Shadow politely, who is resting in the center of the charred crater with her arms spread in defeat.<p>

_**"..."**_ Shadow Alice did not reply, obviously due to its current state. But its inhumanly yellow eyes still glare at the original with rage.

Alice does not know what to do now; she still does not think she has the will to accept this aspect of herself. However, Reimu and Marisa put their hands on her shoulders.

"You can do it, Alice." Reimu encourages.

"Da ze! If I can face my own Shadow, you can too!" Marisa joins in, giving her friend a thumb's up.

"Just do it, I am not in the mood to watch them fight this thing again." Yukari adds coolly, but her tone says other wise.

The head banded teen understands, she lowers herself by her Shadow and helps her up. Allowing it to rest her head on her originals' lap; "I'm sorry, you must have been through a lot too..."

**_"..."_**

"My adoptive parents are not the nicest people. In their eyes, money and status are the most important things in life. They only adopted me because they couldn't have children normally, and needed someone to carry the Margatroid name." Alice confesses, earning uneasy look from her friend's. "This is a fact I'm always too scared to tell others..."

**_"... ..."_**

"And so, I did feel just like an abandoned doll, one that is being forced to live with terrible owners. Deep down, I truly did wish for an escape route, to a true home, a wonderland." The lonely child mutters, slightly embarrassed. "Making dolls is one of my ways to escape the harshness my parents puts me through, and to think that I manage to make friends. I temperately forgot the bitterness in my heart. "

**_"... ... ..."_**

"Ironic was it? But I... I..." Streams of tears leak from Alice's left eye. "... I secretly dislike them due to their habits. And then when I knew they had become better then me, I thought ill of myself as some dead weight that will drag down their lives... I was selfish if not foolish, wasn't I?" She smiles down on her Shadow.

**_"... ... ... ..."_**

"So please... return to me. Let us locate our Wonderland together. You are me, and I am you."

The Shadow's burned face turns into a smile, her creepy eyes and dark aura disappears. "You don't need me to do that for you, you had your friends." The other self replies as she closes her eyes. "My true duty is just now beginn..."

The doppelganger vanishes into blue mist, earning gasps from Alice. She watches as a pale skinned woman around the age of twenty arise from the blue light. She has Alice's hair style as well as a similar headband, and her eyes are covered by a golden opera mask. She dresses in a light blue dress with short white sleeves, kind of like one of Alice's dolls. A long pink ribbon outlined with fluffy frills going round her neck and another one ties around her waist. Covering her shoulder is a white caplet with a red outline. The figure holds a black book and has a sliver ring on each of her ten fingers.

_"Thou am I, and I am Thou. I am Niji-no-Ningyoutsukai, the artful puppeteer of Wonderland. We shall work together to vanquish the sorrow and confusion tormenting this land."_ The newly born Persona greets before she returns into the form of the tarot card labeled "The Chariot".

Alice smiles and as the card descents onto her palm, disappearing as it touches her flash. Warmth spread through out the head-banded teen's body. "This is... my Persona?" A surge of exhaustion spreads through out her as soon she mutters her words; she falls over just to be caught by Reimu and Marisa.

"Alice!" Both friends yell with worry.

"I am all right... I am just grad I am no longer useless..." The blond with the shorter hair whispers tiredly.

Three friends burst into laughter and giggles. Everything is all right now-

**_"... Impossible, a human succeed in facing her true self?"_** A new voice enters the scene and interrupts the three friends' moment. Standing on the edge of the crater is the golden eyed, dark coated figure, looking down on the three humans and one Yukkuri.

"Ze? Who is that?" Marisa cries in shock when she sees the unknown.

Alice gasps, the terrified memory from last night comes back into her mind. "I... It is the one who threw me in!"

"Huh?" Reimu gasps with confusion in her tone._ "This is bad... We are still exhausted from the fight with Alice's Shadow. If it is hostile, we may not be able to fight back..."_

The unknown Phantom did not reply to the group's superstition, but instead looks toward Yukari. _**"I see, you are the reason why humans who entered managed to escape the hollow forest."**_

Yukari stares back toward the Phantom with an annoyed expression, secretly attempting to boundary detect the strange being. "So, I take it that you are the one who keeps throwing humans in?"

The Phantom replies with a hint of anger in its female-like voice. _**"Tell me, Youkai. What was your reason?"**_

"Reason? Isn't it obvious? Your little "activity" has interrupted me!" Yukari replies calmly, but with a hint of anger. "But I suppose, my own action ruined yours. Didn't I?"

**_"..."_** The Phantom stares on, ignoring the question. _**"Interesting..."**_ Its body begins to vanish away in a wave of darkness.

"Ze! You are running away? !" Marisa tries to calls out Kirisama-no-Mahoutsukai, but she fails when her body instead replies with exhaustion.

**_"Humans... At the end of this seasonal cycle, many souls with the darkest Shadow would have passed by the Hollow Forest. They together will summon forth _****_her_****_ and return the world to its natural state... If you have the courage, feel free to continue braving the unknown emptiness of this side..."_**As soon as the unknown Phantom finishes the riddle-like words, it disappears into the darkness, while leaving to group in deeper questions.

"Tch... That boundary..." Yukari mutters under her breath, distasteful to what she had just realized about the being dubbed "The Phantom"; it was something that her human companions were not going to be happy to listen to.

End of Chapter Four

* * *

><p><span>Game Mechanic-izing<span>

Shadow Alice & Doll Solider X 3

[BGM: Doll Judgment]

Arcana: Chariot

Level: 9 on easy/ 10 on normal/ 11 on hard/ 13 on Lunatic

Shadow: Null: Light and Darkness/ Resist: Fire / Weak: Electricity  
><span>Doll Soldiers:<span> Null: Light and Darkness/ Resist: Fire, Electricity / Weak: Ice

Strategy: This is hands down the third most annoying fight in the game. When her dolls are on the battle field, the Shadow is COMPLETELY immune to all but Almighty if any of her Doll Soldiers are still active. Mabufu is required for sure if you want any chance of winning on hard or lunatic. Stunning all the dolls with two castings of Mabufu and then having Marisa shock her. The key is destroying the Doll Soldiers as quickly as possible with an All-Out Attack. Although, be careful, because the dolls will revive after 4 turns. A reminder, on lunatic, if the Doll Soldiers are at below 10% and survive the All-Out Attack; they will use Artful Sacrifice and deal severe Almighty Damage on the party, in other words; it is instant game over. And yes, no Pache as your saviour in the game.

Symbolism: The overall doll-like appearance symbolizes the feeling of Alice being controlled, hinting the strict behaviour of Alice's adoptive parents. The fire usage was a a show of hidden anger and the desire to destroy what she hated.

* * *

><p><strong>AuthorNCS: Ah... This chapter took us a while didn't it?<strong>

**Rion: Stupid life... putting other things in my way. Nothing is more important than these stories, right?**

**AuthorNCS: Let's not blame everything on reality, I am partly responsible because I got Author Block-ed on some scenes and you are forced to filled them in for me.**

**Rion: Well, that's my job as your partner-in-crime.**

**AuthorNCS: Would we go to jail for that?**

**Rion: It's a figure of speech.**

**AuthorNCS: You know what I meant.**

**Rion: I know what you meant.**

**AuthorNCS: So Rion, want to hear some characterizations of Touhou characters?**

**Rion: Why not?**

**AuthorNCS: Each fans interpret Touhou characters differently. Marisa in canon do not say "Ze~" as much as fans made her to be. Reimu is lazy and easy going, but only during her free time. Alice is sometimes a tsundere or even yandere to what ever shipping she was in.**

**Rion: So... basically, it's however you feel like making them.**

**AuthorNCS: Kind of. That is why Touhou is so popular aside from what its music had earn. It's story and characters were so flexible that there is even an unofficial internet rule: Touhou can be cross with anything; Serious or Parody.**

**Rion: Anything...?**

**AuthorNCS: Anything... From Star War to DC comics, from Inception to Street Fighter... From- I should stop before this get out of hand.**

**Rion: Sounds like you knew that answer from first-hand experience. By the way... did you ever have a doll when you were young?**

**AuthorNCS: I had a ton. They are so soft to sleep next to, one of them was a giant Pikachu.**

**Rion: When I was about six, I had this huge white teddy bear that was about two feet tall. It was great. How about now? Any dolls or anything like that?**

**AuthorNCS: The giant Pikachu I had was 1.5 feet, not too bad.**

**Rion: Young children need big teddy bears/plush animals.**

**AuthorNCS: So true. *Looks at the length* Ah... Again, we went overboard. Allow us to end this before people complains. See ya all for I-don't-know-how-long-because-I-will-be-trying-to-finish-The-Night-When-Demons-Raised time.**


End file.
